Another Hiccup
by The Story Of Your Life
Summary: Young Alex finds herself trapped in a world she knows nothing about. But she soon learns that there is more to these people than meets the eye, and must decide whether or not she will stay when given the choice. First HTTYD story, and Rated T for safety. Please R & R! HiccupxOC The awesome cover art was done by KarinMaaka07. Thanks again!
1. Part 1: Camping Trip Gone Bad

**AN: WARNING: This is my first attempt at writing a HTTYD story. So I apologize if anything is out of place or anyone is out of character /:**

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><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

"Do you have everything all packed?" Mom's voice reached my ears as I stared down at the bag on my bed. For the last three hours I was packing for the camping trip hosted by my middle school. Everyone in my class was required to go for extra credit. And of course since I was failing math it was the main reason mom had ordered me to go.

Math has never been my favorite subject. I've hated it long since I started middle school. I only just barely made it through first year. My second year was even worse, because I'm taking algebra. Apparently we're supposed to learn it because algebra is something we'll need once we graduate.

With a roll of my eyes I grabbed the last object I'd decided to take with me: My journal. It was already well used and had entries from my first year of middle school. But I've had this thing since than and would continue writing even after I graduated.

"Yes mom," I replied once everything was packed. The sound of footsteps followed shortly after, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes when mom peered inside. She was always worried about my safety, especially since I had a tendency to leap first without thinking. Let's just say I've gotten into a lot of fights in the past few weeks. "I'm all ready!"

"Good, the bus is getting ready to leave," mom explained. "Alex, are you sure that you're fine with this?" She narrowed her eyes in concern. Of course I wasn't fine with this. I hated camping. I wasn't fond of the outdoors or getting dirty. But it wasn't like I had much of a choice. It was either this or summer school, and I'll be damned if I have to spend an entire summer in school.

"Mom, I'll be fine," I reassured her with a smile. "I'm a big girl now." Mom only laughed at that before helping me carry my things. It was a week's worth of clothing and supplies for the trip. Hopefully we wouldn't be out there for more than a week, as that was what the flyer had said.

The camping trip was supposed to be a learning experience according to Mr. Atlack. He explained that we would be learning equations along the way and how to use them in order to survive in the wilderness, or whatever that meant.

I followed mom down the stairs and into the car as she got ready to drive over to the parking lot. Everyone who was attending the camping trip had excused absences from the teacher. Which meant that the bus would probably be full of students who were more than happy to skip out on class.

"Now just remember to stay away from any boys." I rolled my eyes as mom set down the rules. She always had a problem with men in general. Considering the fact that dad had abandoned us when I was five, I couldn't really blame her. "And stay with the group, and do what you're told."

"Seriously mom, it's just a school trip," I pointed out. "Worst comes to worse I'll end up with a few mosquito bites or poison ivy." I added the last part with a shrug, inwardly cringing at the thought. Truthfully I wasn't looking forward to either 'dangers'.

Thankfully she didn't say anything else the rest of the way there. It was a good thirty minute drive to the school if she took the back roads, which she usually did. The weather outside wasn't too bad, probably in the fifties since it was early September. The beginning of the school year was an odd time for school trips, but Mr. Atlack had said it was the only time he could schedule it.

"Good afternoon Mrs. Hendrickson." Mr. Atlack was already waiting for us outside the bus. I noticed for the first time that almost everyone was already in their seats. Holding back a sigh I realized that I wouldn't be getting the window seat I'd hoped for. "You're the last one to check in," he explained after looking down at the list of names on a clipboard. "You can put your bags in the storage down here."

I simply nodded before doing as I was told, but not without taking out my iPod and a pair of headphones. There weren't too many people I spoke to in my class. Probably one or two other girls at the most who shared similar interests. But they weren't going on this trip. Unfortunately I was the only one who seemed to fail miserably at math.

"Alright everyone, can I have your attention please?" I chose to sit down next to another girl, who looked unimpressed with my sudden appearance. Fortunately I wouldn't be talking to her unless she decided to open her big mouth. "We should reach the campgrounds in an hour, if there isn't any traffic. There are bathrooms in the back of the bus, please feel free to use them."

Just the usual announcements before a trip. I only shrugged and put on my headphones, reveling in the music that played. I wasn't going to let this trip dampen my spirits, as annoyed as I was. Maybe it wouldn't be as bad as I was expecting.

...

Unfortunately my happy mood didn't last long. After an hour and a half we finally reached the campground. It was already getting dark out, and we had to work quickly in order to get things settled. The girls would be staying in two separate cabins while the boys would be staying in their own.

Each cabin had two bathroom stalls and two showers. That would mean we were going to fight over who got in first, and I was not looking forward to that. With a sigh of frustration I grabbed my bags and headed for the nearest cabin.

"I wanted the lower bunk!" Once I got inside I regretted it almost instantly. Sarah, one of then girls who I rarely got along with, was arguing with Kristen. Normally the two were the best of friends, always laughing and hanging out with each other. But it seemed this time Sarah wanted something that Kristen had already claimed.

"Sorry, first comes first serves!" Kristen boasted. The two started arguing once again, and it took everything I had not to punch them both. This could take all night. Luckily I had taken a sleeping bag with me just in case. I wasn't one to sleep outside, but in rare cases like this I was thankful to have packed one.

Surprisingly no one bothered asking why I was sleeping outside. Even I questioned my own sanity on this one. Considering the fact that everyone else was sleeping in their cabins, this was probably the dumbest choice I've made.

As I rolled out my sleeping bag I thought of what would lay ahead of me. This was probably going to be the most boring camping trip I've ever taken. Maybe if I was lucky something exciting would happen tomorrow. But I wasn't exactly counting on my luck.

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><p><strong>AN: So... I'm not entirely sure where I will be going with this one. Kind of a random story now that I think about it, but I really wanted to post this. After watching How To Train Your Dragon 2, my love for the series just kind of grew ^^ This will follow the plotline of the first movie, and eventually run through the second one depending on how many people enjoy it. And yes, this is an OC suddenly finds themselves stuck in another world story. I couldn't resist XD<strong>


	2. Waking Up

**Chapter Two**

The first thing I noticed upon waking up was that it was cold. Far colder than it should be. For a while I just buried myself into my sleeping bag to avoid the cold. The harsh wind from outside didn't help much. Had I any brains at all I would have stayed in the cabin. I'm sure by now the teachers who went along are looking for me. Or they haven't even noticed my disappearance. With the luck I seemed to have that wouldn't surprise me.

I held back a sigh of annoyance when I finally peered outside my sleeping bag. To my surprise there were trees surrounding me. Not like the trees back in the campground, but huge pine trees. My nose wrinkled at the scent that came from them.

Ugh, yet another reason to hate the outdoors. Warily I started creeping out of the bag. Whelp, it looked like I wasn't in Kansas anymore. This place was totally different from the campground, and right now I was starting to freak out.

"Shit, shit, shit," I muttered under my breath. If this was some prank that the kids had pulled on me, I would kill them. Before I wandered off I pulled out my phone to see if there was any service. And of course with the luck I had it wasn't even on. The damn thing must have died in the middle of the night.

Speaking of which… it was still dark out. Thankfully my iPod still had a full charge. I was able to check and see what the time was, and looked at the screen in surprise. It wasn't even six in the morning. Something had woken me up, and I wanted to know why. Or maybe this was all just a dream.

Yeah, let's go with the latter. I'm really hoping this is just some crazy dream, because I was not prepared for this. My first instinct was telling me to stay here and hope that I woke up. And my other was telling me that it was time to move on. I wasn't going to get anywhere by staying here.

Of course I would follow my other instinct. I rolled up my sleeping bag and made sure that there really was no other person around. Apparently the dream I was in had decided to send me to some lonesome forest. Which I was perfectly happy with, as long as there wasn't anything dangerous out here.

With that said and done, I started wandering down what I hoped was some kind of path. The cold air was really starting to bother me, and I wish I would've brought extra clothing. I had left my other bags in the cabins.

"If this is some crazy random dream, now would be a wonderful time to wake up," I muttered to myself. The wind had finally died down, that was a bonus. I was surprised by the sound of birdsong as the sun began to rise over the trees.

Unfortunately no one answered my plea. Great. I was out on my own talking to myself. To anyone who was watching me, they probably thought I was some crazy lunatic. Which could either be a good thing or a bad thing. I'm not sure how any stranger would react to that.

I stopped when I heard the sound of seagulls calling in the distance. Was I on an island? That would just make things ten times better. Not! It was bad enough I had to wake out here in the middle of nowhere. But to be stuck on some island with nothing but trees would only make it worse.

That was when I noticed something odd. Glancing upwards I noticed that the creatures flying around weren't birds. My eyes widened in disbelief when I realized what they were. It took a few seconds for that realization to dawn on me.

_Dragons_? _Where the hell am I_? God, wake me now! Thankfully they hadn't spotted me. To my surprise they were circling something ahead. It took me a few seconds to realize that it was a village that loomed ahead. I took a few steps back when I realized the dragons were attacking that village.

This isn't real. It can't be real. Dragons are just mythical creatures that almost every continent knows about. True I may have a fascination with them, but there is no way in hell I'd want to get cross with one. Slowly I started to back away.

Okay, right now I just need to clear my head and think positive thoughts. I'm stuck on an island with dragons attacking some random village. Maybe they wouldn't notice me and I could finally wake up from this crazy dream. Although I'm starting to think that maybe this isn't just some dream.

...

It was getting late out by the time I found a new hiding place. Though it wasn't much the hiding place was better than nothing. I was getting colder by the minute. If I didn't find shelter soon than I might as well just freeze to death.

Thankfully my sleeping bag was still intact, cold as it was. At least that would keep me warm throughout the night. I had no idea how to start a fire. And out here I wasn't sure if that was such a good idea. With dragons around and a village nearby, I didn't want to draw unwanted attention.

I let out a sigh and leaned against the tree I was sleeping in. Technically it was a hollow that I found. The hollow was big enough for one person at least, oddly convenient at the time. But at this point I didn't complain. I was just thankful to have something I could sleep in.

As the time passed I started humming a familiar tune while looking at my journal. I was thankful I had taken it with me. Maybe when this was over I would wake up and see that nothing was written on these blank pages. Using my iPod (which was still alive remarkably enough) as a flashlight, I started writing the latest entry.

...

September 20th, 2010

8: 39 PM

Dear Journal,

Why the hell am I here? What in the name of God did I do to deserve this? I wish I could believe that this is some dream that I would wake up from tomorrow. But I can't shake off the feeling that it isn't a dream.

To make matters worse, I'm lost in some random forest on an island. An island with dragons on it! Who would've thought they were real? I sure hope that when I wake up I remember what they look like. It would be pretty cool to show off what my imagination created.

The dragons also seem to be interested in a village nearby. I noticed earlier that they were attacking it in broad daylight. Just another stereotypical storyline, dragons attacking people. I've always believed that they are more than that, even if they aren't real.

If I ever get the chance to meet one (I'm hoping it doesn't decide to eat me first), maybe I could tell it that. Either way I am not enjoying this so far. Oh, and remind me to kill my mom for forcing me to go on this trip.

-Alex

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><p><strong>AN: Ah I have no idea where I'm gonna go with this... although I do have big plans for this story, I'll tell you that much XD<strong>


	3. Snowfire

**Chapter Three**

September 21st? 2010

9: 15 PM

Scared as hell

Dear Journal,

Well, my worst fears were confirmed. Turns out that this isn't some dream. I woke up again this morning and found myself in the same place. A little unsettling when you think there are dragons flying around you. But for the most part I'm okay.

It's mostly my hunger that's getting me edgier than usual. I put a granola bar in my sleeping bag before this all happened, and was thankful that I did. But I'm not sure how long I can survive out here on my own. Maybe visiting that village wouldn't be such a bad idea.

What I'm worried about is how hostile these people may be. Considering I've pretty much intruded in their territory, it's likely they'll attack without questioning. So far now I'm going to keep my distance and watch them. If they show signs of being the peaceful type, than maybe I'll show my face.

~Alex

...

It was late at night when I heard the sounds of battle. I had only just finished writing in my journal when I heard a roar in the distance. The sound was an eerie one that sent chills through me. There was something almost haunting about it that made me wish I could see what was going on. Yet the urge to stay put had finally dawned on me. I would be safer if I stayed in my little hollow, far away from the fighting and whoever lived there.

And of course that's when things take a turn for the worse. Here I was huddled safe and sound in my little hollow when I heard a screech. My teeth were grinding at the noise. It sounded like someone was in pain.

I looked up in time to see something hurtling towards me, or I should say the tree I was hiding in. My body worked faster than my mind, and in seconds I was as far away from the hollow as possible. The creature that had slammed into the trees nearby was struggling to move, and moaning in pain.

Warily I peered over my shoulder to see what that something was. And I regretted the moment I turned to look.

What _is_ that? It resembled the shape of a large bat-like creature. What caught my attention though were the wings that were folded up. They were bound together by a rope. I couldn't help but grimace when I saw blood soaking the ground.

"Okay, let's see…. If someone is bleeding what do I do?" I jumped when the creature looked at me with large, terrified eyes. "Sorry, I don't have a first aid kit," I muttered softly. I could only assume that this creature was in fact a dragon. Maybe not the type I was used to seeing, but a dragon nonetheless.

Thankfully mom taught me a few remedies I could use out here. Some of the plants looked familiar. There were a few herbs here and there hidden in the undergrowth. The dragon was watching me curiously all the while as I started gathering up the necessities.

Hey, I may not like the outdoors but I certainly wasn't going to let this creature die. Not if I could help it. Once I had the poultice ready I approached the dragon carefully. Even though it was still tied up there was a chance it could attack. It was better to be safe than sorry.

"Okay… dragon, or whatever you are," I began warily, "I'm going to put this on your tail; it'll sting a little, but it should help." The dragon only kept watching me with that same expression as I inched my way forward.

Instinctively the dragon flinched as my hand reached out for it's tail. Half of it was torn off by the rope, leaving behind an open wound. I couldn't help but grimace at the sight once more; this was definitely something I had not been prepared for.

"Easy, I'm not going to hurt you," I promised after putting a dab of the poultice on. The dragon let out a warning growl, telling me it was time to back away. A few minutes of this went on until I managed to cover the dragon's wounds. "That should be good." I backed away to look at the ropes that held the dragon's wings together. "Lets see if I can get this off."

With as much caution as possible I reached out to try and pull off the rope. It was bound together with some kind of heavy metal, which meant cutting it off was the only way. Unfortunately for me I didn't have any tools or weapons that could cut the rope. The only thing I could do was make it lose to give the dragon some more comfort.

I was ready to pry the rope off of it's left wing when a screech sounded. The sound sent chills down my arms as I looked around warily. Beside me the dragon was cowering in fear at the sudden noise. Whatever it was hadn't gotten much closer. I had a feeling that it was attacking the village and hadn't found us yet.

It was seconds later that another screech shook the forest. By now my hands were trembling with fear. I didn't have any weapons that I could defend myself with, and if another dragon found me there was no telling what would happen.

"What do you suppose that was?" I looked at the dragon as if it could understand me. The dragon simply looked at me with those large eyes as if to ask whether or not I was insane. Which I probably was for sticking around here.

I couldn't help but yelp in surprise when I felt something hook around my stomach. One minute I was standing on the ground with the dragon staring at me, and the next the ground was beginning to fade away. My stomach was doing somersaults as I realized what was happening.

"God of all things good and true, put me down!" I shouted as I struggled against talons holding on to me. Of course they would have a strong grip and refuse to let me go. I have never flown before in my life. I was terrified of planes, ever since the September 11th attack. This, this was far worse than being stuck in a metal plane.

Whatever was carrying me didn't let go until the ground suddenly came back to view. I was staring at clouds and black sky for what felt like hours when we started making a landing. By that point my heart was pounding as fast as it would go. I was afraid I'd have a heart attack if this went on.

Finally the creature came to a stop on a nearby cliff overlooking the ocean. I let out a sigh of relief and dusted off my jeans, realizing that I hadn't changed in nearly two days now. The terror I felt earlier was suddenly replaced with anger. All of my things, including my journal were left behind in that forest! I was ready to scream my head off at the creature when I stopped myself.

The creature looked like a dragon. It was similar to the one back in the forest, only this one was white. Pure white, with larger wings and tail. Icy blue eyes stared back into mine, reflecting the same anger I felt moments ago.

The intense stare off continued like this for five more minutes before the dragon lowered it's head. A low growl formed in the back of it's throat as it started approaching me, wings flaring in a defensive manner. All that kept me from running was the fact that it blocked my only escape path.

"What are you?" I demanded as my foot nearly tripped over the ledge. I was in a dangerous position, and it felt like my heart was in my throat as I stared at the dragon.

The dragon suddenly leaned forward. I braced myself for the pain that would follow. Here I was ready to die at the jaws of a mythical creature. And I sure was hoping that when it was over I would wake up. Otherwise I'm not even sure what would happen next.

But the pain never happened. Instead the dragon suddenly pulled back. I looked up in surprise to see that the dragon sat down on it's back legs, tilting it's head in confusion. Faster than I could react the dragon reached forward and touched my outreached hand with it's muzzle.

"Uh, thanks," I murmured once I realized the dragon wasn't going to hurt me. It was sitting back far enough that I could see the creature was a female. For reptiles it was usually difficult to tell what gender they were. But I was surprised to see that dragons were different. "Why did you take me away from that other dragon?" I asked warily. "It needed my help."

I hoped that dragon was alright. I'm not even sure why I was so worried. Maybe because that dragon was as terrified as I felt right now.

'_Why did you help him_?' I stiffened at the voice. My eyes narrowed as I looked around at who spoke. '_I am right in front of you, human_.' All that kept me from stumbling over the ledge was the fact that the dragon kept staring at me.

"Did you just…. Did you just seriously speak to me?" I asked in disbelief.

'_Of course_,' the dragon huffed. '_Did you think I was full of hot air_?'

"Uh, no." I looked down at the ground in embarrassment. The dragon hummed in amusement as she watched me curiously.

'_You did not answer my question_,' she growled. '_Why did you help that Night Fury_?'

"Is that what he was?" The dragon only glared at me when I realized she wanted answers. Swallowing back the previous fear I felt, I quickly explained my reasons, "I couldn't just leave him there to die. I guess that I was, _am_ just as scared as he was." The dragon continued studying me for what felt like hours until she spoke up again.

'_I believe you_,' she rumbled. '_You are not like the other humans_. _The only wish to slaughter our kind_.'

I flinched at the bitterness in her tone. There was one race that was infamous for their stories of slaying monsters of all kinds. The Vikings. True there were Greeks and Romans who were known for the same type of brutality, and the Celts were just as bad. But for some reason Vikings were the first to come to my mind.

"Okay, first off, thanks for not eating me, and…. How exactly are you able to communicate with me?" I couldn't help but ask that question. I've never heard of any creature being able to communicate with humans, let alone mythical ones.

'_Only a few of my kind are capable of such knowledge_,' she replied. '_We do not communicate with the humans_, _unless we know that the humans will not attack us_.'

Huh, well that made sense, in a way. I was still confused with it all. Dragons were, are more intelligent than humans gave them credit for.

"Well, seeing as this is just a dream, do you think you can bring me my sleeping bag?" I suddenly asked. It felt like I was taking some kind of test. Of course I was the one asking the questions and the dragon was giving me all the answers. I'd probably fail miserably if it were the other way around.

'_Do you need these objects to survive_?' the dragon asked. I couldn't help but laugh at her question before coming up with the right answer. The dragon looked annoyed with my response, but thankfully she didn't attack.

"Considering I'm not dressed for this kind of weather, yeah," I told her. The dragon narrowed her eyes before flaring her wings and taking off. The moment she was gone I was left alone in darkness once more.

It must be a new moon, because all I could see right now were the stars. And boy were there a lot of them. I could make out almost every constellation from where I was standing, and even see the Milky Way. If I wasn't in such a bad mood this would actually be really beautiful. Life in the city meant I didn't get to see the stars very often.

The dragon returned seconds later with what looked like my sleeping bag. I couldn't help but smile at the sight. It was nice to see that she had known what I was talking about. A sleeping bag like mind would probably stand out in a world like this.

'_I believe this is yours_,' she said after dropping the object. Seconds later and my journal came falling out, along with my iPod. I wasn't even sure what had happened to my phone, but at this point it didn't matter. As long as I had my journal and iPod I was happy.

"Thanks, again," I replied with a grin. "So, what do I call you?" I asked as I rolled out my sleeping bag to make sure that nothing had crawled in. The last thing I wanted to deal with were insects.

'_The humans call me the White Terror_,' she said with a scoff. Gee, I wonder why? '_But to my kind I am known as Snowfire_.'

"Snowfire," I said out loud. I was a bit awed by the name. "Pretty name." Snowfire gave me a look of pride before taking her place beside me. I was still wary of her presence, but I'm sure she would have attacked me long ago had she wanted to.

'_And what do I call you, strange human_?' she asked.

To which I just rolled my eyes and answered, "Alex."

Snowfire seemed satisfied with that and relaxed. For a while we just sat in silence. It was actually kind of nice to just sit like that. My mind was still reeling with all of this new information, and the fact that a dragon was talking to me.

'_I will stay with you human_,' Snowfire suddenly told me. I looked at her in surprise before she went on, '_I have seen what you did to help my kind_. _And I will do the same for you_.'

I couldn't help but look back in shock at her sudden loyalty. All I did was put an ointment on his tail. He might not even survive that injury. Yet she was willing to stay with me because I had helped him. Maybe this kind of life wouldn't be so bad after all, especially with a dragon at my side.

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><p><strong>AN: A much longer chapter! And yes, Snowfire can communicate. I haven't officially announced what kind of dragon she is though ;) (PS: Kind of got that idea from the Inheritance Cycle XD)<strong>


	4. Spikes

**Chapter Four**

Lost Track of Time and Day

Sleeping Next to a Dragon

Dear Journal,

So I guess this isn't a dream. And here I was hoping it would be.

Apparently dragons can talk. Well, only a few can. Snowfire said that only her kind are capable of it, and even than it's a rare ability. So I guess that I'm just lucky.

Let's hope that luck lasts.

~Alex

...

Snowfire was awake first as I put away my journal. She had already taken off to catch some breakfast as she called it. I was surprised that dragons only ate fish. Here I thought they could eat humans too if given the choice.

'_Humans would taste horrible_, _and they have too much fat_,' she had explained when I asked why. Again it sounded like an insult, but I decided it was better not to argue.

I watched with fascination as she flew up to join me on the cliff. Now that it was light out I could see the island we were on. It was big enough to hold an entire family of dragons her size. Down at the bottom of the cliff was a rocky beach, but the ocean didn't look as tempting as it would at home. Behind me I could see trees of all types and sizes, but the dominant tree seemed to be the pine.

"So, do you think it's safe to explore the island?" I knew that staying here wasn't going to get me anywhere. But exploring the outdoors wasn't exactly on my bucket list either. I suppose this was better than nothing.

Snowfire watched me thoughtfully before answering.

'_There are other dragons that live on this island_,' she told me. '_I will go with you_.'

Seeing her in broad daylight, I could see now why she was called Snowfire. Her scales were almost glittering in the sunlight due to the way she moved. What surprised me the most were her wings; instead of that same consistent white the underside of her wings were blue.

I was fascinated by her appearance. It made me wonder if there were other dragons like her out there. I mean there had to be dragons of the same species if there was more than one type out there. In a way it was really confusing. But it also made sense.

With a shake of my head, I led the way down the rocky cliff. Eventually it led down to a steep grassy slope, and that was the path that led to the forest. Already I could hear the screeches of smaller dragons and paused in alarm. Snowfire nearly bumped into me in the process.

"Are they dangerous?" I suddenly asked.

'_Of course not_.' She hummed with laughter at my lack of knowledge. '_They are only Terrible Terrors_, _small dragons for their names_.'

"Oh." I bit the bottom of my lip as I made my way down the slope. Snowfire had to help me several times when I almost slipped.

'_You humans are so delicate_,' she pointed out. I gave her a look that said it all. True I had no experience out in a place like this. But that didn't mean I couldn't try. '_It would be easier if you could fly_.' That was enough to get me on edge.

"No way," I snapped. "There's no way in hell I'm going up there again." I made a point to look at the sky before looking back at the forest ahead. The small dragons she pointed out earlier were jumping from branch to branch, looking down at us curiously.

'_Why do you fear the sky_?' Snowfire's question caught me off guard. Truth be told I had never told anyone about my fear of flying. So many lives had been lost on the September 11th attack; it was hard to forget that day in school when they made the announcement. '_Something happened to you_,' she concluded. I simply nodded in response, unable to answer properly.

"Let's just say that it left me pretty shaken," I replied. "I'd rather not talk about it; you wouldn't understand." That much was true. Here I was in another world, and talking to a dragon. I was sure by now that I wasn't in my own world.

Thankfully Snowfire didn't press any further. She continued following me until we reached a large clearing. I didn't miss the fact that the Terrible Terrors had been following us as well. Suddenly one of them jumped down from the branch, causing me to jump in shock. Luckily Snowfire caught me before I could fall over on my back.

'_Do not be alarmed_,' she warned me.

My stiff body slowly relaxed itself when I realized they weren't attacking. Instead they were curious. I watched with interest as the little dragon started crawling around me, sniffing every scent it could find. I'm sure to this little guy I smelled like an alien.

"You're actually kind of cute looking," I admitted out loud. This dragon had green and orange scales, with spikes going down it's spine and tail. I noticed for the first time how large it's eyes were, and how it kept staring at me the way Snowfire had when we first met.

'_He likes you_.' Snowfire watched on in amusement as the Terrible Terror crawled onto my shoulder. Surprisingly his claws didn't hurt like I was expecting. It was like having a cat climb around you, only different.

"Well, I suppose you could stay if you want," I murmured. The little guy crooned in agreement and rubbed my cheek affectionately. I couldn't help but laugh at the sight – my mom would have never let me have a pet in our house.

I continued following the same path down as the clearing broke apart. More tall, ancient looking pines towered above us. To my surprise I could see claw marks on the trees, along with a few burnt marks as well.

"Is that how dragons mark their territory?" I asked warily. I wasn't in any hurry to run into anything dangerous.

'_Yes_,' Snowfire replied. '_This is my territory_.' That I didn't know. Then again I didn't know much of this world. '_Every now on than I must join the others during their raid_,_ to keep the humans off my scent_,' she added with a sniff.

"So that's why you were there last night!" It suddenly dawned on me that the villagers might have found me instead. I had a feeling they wouldn't be so welcoming if they found out where I'm from.

'_Precisely_.'

For a while it was just the three of us walking through the woods. I enjoyed the silence as the Terrible Terror climbed onto the trees to follow us. For the first time in days I actually felt refreshed. It was strange to think that I hated the outdoors so much.

It wasn't until we reached what looked like an alcove that we came to a stop. My eyes widened in amazement as I took in the sight in front of me.

The field was large, with flowers covering most of the ground. The rocky cliffs would make for perfect places to take off if one was a dragon. Snowfire simply watched with interest as I walked towards it. There were small cave built into the rocky cliff that would make the perfect home. This place was protected by the wind, and would likely be protected by the storms in the future.

"Why don't you use this?" I couldn't help asking.

'_I usually do not need to_,' she replied. '_Most of my nights are spent on the cliffs overlooking the ocean_.'

"Sounds peaceful." I gave the alcove one last glance before following Snowfire back to our cliff. Maybe one day. I wasn't going to push her into doing something she would fight me for.

'_It is not always peaceful_,' she reminded me. I nodded in agreement as the Terrible Terror from earlier nearly pounced on me. I had to laugh at the sight as he crawled onto my shoulder once again. These guys were cute, I'll give them that.

"So do you wanna stay with us?" I asked after rubbing the little guy's neck. The dragon only squealed in response, the spikes along his spine sticking up and flattening again. "How about Spikes?" I stifled another fit of laughter when his spikes flared once more.

'_A fitting name_,' Snowfire snorted at the little dragon, having already headed for the top of the cliff.

Spikes curled up next to me shortly after as I settled down by my sleeping bag. In a way he reminded me of having a dog, or a cat. A fire breathing flying dog, but a pet nonetheless. I hadn't realized until now that it was already getting late, and I was starving.

'_I will fetch you something to eat_,' Snowfire suddenly announced. I was ready to argue when I thought better of it.

I didn't want to rely on someone to heavily for the things I needed. Back when I was at home I usually took care of myself more than anything else. Sure mom would step in every once in a while. But I was always the one who cooked our meals and made sure that she had something on the table. Out here I felt a bit useless to say the least.

"I wish there was more that I could do," I murmured out loud. Spikes only looked at me as to say something, but than he made a cooing sound and rubbed his head against my arm.

Time seemed to move slowly until Snowfire finally returned. By now the sun had set, and I was given a chance to see just how beautiful sunsets were here. I flinched when I noticed what Snowfire was carrying in her jaws. Freshly caught fish that had caught Spikes' attention.

'_Do you not like fish_?' she asked curiously. I was surprised she didn't sound more offended.

"Well, I'd prefer the fish be cooked," I explained with a shrug. The thought of eating sushi made my stomach churn in disgust.

'_Very well_.' Snowfire dropped the fish nearby and glanced back at me. Spikes was also watching the fish with interest, having already stolen one while she wasn't watching. I had to hand it to him, he knew how a good meal when he found it. '_Gather some wood_; _I have seen humans do this many times_.'

I nodded in understanding, realizing what she meant by that. It was really going to be like a camping trip. Having a campfire around, and someone to share stories with was actually kind of nice. True we may not be friends, but Snowfire hadn't hurt me or tried to yet.

"So, are there any others like you out there?" Once I gathered all the firewood, Snowfire lit it with ease. I couldn't help but stare at the way she breathed fire, like it was something that came naturally. Then I reminded myself once again that she was in fact a dragon. There was no telling what they were capable of.

'_As far as I am concerned, there are no others_,' she replied. '_Unlike other dragons_, _there is a reason I received my name_.' Snowfire leaned back and suddenly touched the grass beside her. My jaw was gaping with shock when I saw ice form where her muzzle had touched the grass.

"That's… impressive," I stated. "You do live up to your name." Snowfire hummed in agreement, a look of pride showing in her eyes.

The fish wasn't actually bad when it was fully cooked. I gave half of the catch to Spikes and cooked the rest of it for myself. I hadn't realized until now just how hungry I really was. The fire kept me warm enough that night I didn't have to sleep in the sleeping bag.

Spikes was curled up next to me while Snowfire kept watch throughout the night. It was like having a dragon slumber party. And for once I wasn't complaining about the extra company.

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><p><strong>AN: Wow, this got popular quick! Thanks everyone for your reviews :) I know this seems a bit slow but it will eventually pick up pace around the next chapter or two!<strong>

**69759 - Honestly I didn't even know you were writing a story with a similar plot XD I do plan on sticking with the main storyline, but I'm thinking of branching off of the movie and making it into something totally different after that. Thanks again for reviewing!**

**silverwolvesarecool - Thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying it :)**


	5. Meeting Hiccup

**Chapter Five**

I wasn't even sure what had woken me up so early. Something had bumped into me, causing me to stiffen and react on instinct. My arms flailed wildly until I realized who was beside me. A low growl sounded in the back of Snowfire's throat, causing Spikes to jump away in fear.

"What's going on?" I asked warily. I didn't miss the fact that the air around her had suddenly changed. The cold weather had suddenly returned, causing me to rub my arms up and down to keep myself warm.

She didn't respond. I just stared at her in confusion until she unfolded her wings. In a split second I realized too late what she was about to do. Before I could even react she took off, taking me with her. The scream that followed was one I would never forget.

Despite all of the fighting back she refused to let go. By the time she reached the first set of clouds I closed my eyes. Terror surged through me – this was worse than the first time she had taken me. I'm not sure why though. It was like something had suddenly changed in her. She wasn't even saying anything through her mind, which led me to feeling even more terrified.

"Snowfire put me down now!" My voice rose to a scream as she dipped down. Wind tore at my clothes, making me feel even more vulnerable than before. It took me a few seconds to realize what she was doing. Snowfire's talons had stretched out with incredible speed. She was hunting someone, someone who invaded her territory.

That something had been caught with ease; now it was struggling to free itself from her grip. And I noticed for the first time what that something was. It was the Night Fury, the same one I had found in the woods. All I could do was stare in shock when I saw that someone was clinging onto the Night Fury for dear life.

Snowfire wasted no time in returning to her island. The boy holding on to the Night Fury was sent flying across the grassy field as she dropped the Night Fury as well. My arms felt numb from holding on to her other free leg, but finally I let go when she made a landing.

'_Get out of here now, dragon hunter_!' Snowfire roared in fury as the boy struggled to his feet, groaning in pain from the impact. By now the Night Fury had recovered, and was glaring at Snowfire when he realized what had happened.

I noticed for the first time that something had changed on his tail. He had some kind of mechanized device on one side of his tail where a fin should be. Once again I realized that the boy, or someone must have put that on the Night Fury. Truth be told though I was just glad he was okay.

"Ugh, that could've gone better," the boy grunted after finally getting up. His eyes widened when he noticed Snowfire for the first time. "You know, I have a very good explanation for being here," he began as she bared her teeth.

'_Dragon slayer_! _Egg smasher_!' The words continued tumbling out of her mouth, or thoughts I should say. Now I understood why she was so pissed. She probably thought this kid had something to do with all the fights in that village.

Judging by his scrawny looking build I could already tell he had nothing to do with those fights. What caught my attention though was the fact that he was wearing clothing similar to what Vikings would wear.

"Uh, excuse me." Before Snowfire could attack I got closer, making sure that I was within eyesight of both her and the boy. The Night Fury just sat there, looking more confused than anything else. I think by now he's realized his rider isn't under any threat. At least that's what I was hoping. "Believe me when I say he isn't going to hurt you," I said in my calmest voice possible.

Inside my legs felt like jello. I'm pretty sure that both the Night Fury and his rider could see that I was shaking. Fortunately they didn't try to stop me, and Snowfire had taken a step back once I was in the line of fire. Even if this kid did have something to do with killing dragons, I couldn't just sit by and let him die.

'_He is one of them_,' she retorted in an angry tone.

"I don't care if he's a dragon himself," I snapped. "I'm not going to let you hurt him." Snowfire only narrowed her eyes in annoyance before letting out a huff of smoke. I brushed my face against the harsh scent before meeting her eyes again.

'_You would risk your own life for that of someone you do not even know_?' she demanded. I looked at her in surprise until I understood what she meant by that.

"Yeah, I would." Especially since I'd be filled with guilt if I watched him die. Nope, I definitely wasn't going to be like that. My conscience is clear as far as I am concerned.

"Wait, are you… talking to her?" I turned around to see that the kid had stood beside his dragon. The Night Fury continued watching us both with keen interest. I'm sure he was debating whether or not Snowfire was still a threat to his rider.

"Sort of," I replied sheepishly. Snowfire snorted and turned away so that her back was facing me now. "Oh, are you mad at me now?" I folded my arms and glared. "I'm not going to let anyone die if I can help it, unless they deserve it of course."

Snowfire only rolled her eyes in response. I was ready to say something when the kid spoke up again, this time sounding more confused than ever.

"What do you mean by 'sort of'?" he demanded.

"You'd probably think I'm crazy," I pointed out with a shrug. "I already think this is some kind of dream."

"Try me." I looked at him in surprise before going on with my story. I left out the part about the Night Fury – I was pretty sure he'd figure that one out sooner or later – then continued on to where I met Snowfire and learned we could communicate somehow. Now the boy just stared at me like I was insane.

"See? Told you." Again I folded my arms and waited for an answer. Anything was better than the deafening silence that followed.

"Okay," he managed to drag out. "So you end up waking in the middle of the woods in a world you didn't know existed?" That about summed things up right there. Of course he made it sound like it was the craziest story he'd ever heard. And he was probably right.

"Look, I don't know _how_ it happened or why, but I do know that somehow there _has_ to be a way back to my world," I muttered crossly. Snowfire nudged my arm gently and made a crooning noise, as if to ask why I would want to leave in the first place. Obviously she wasn't in the mood to talk to me.

"And this is where I leave." I hadn't realized until now that the boy had reached the Night Fury's side. "Come on Toothless."

Toothless? What sort of name was that? That was when I noticed the dragon opened his mouth for the first time. To my surprise and disbelief, he had no teeth. What really caught my attention though was the saddle on his back.

It looked like the saddle was somehow connected to the tail fin, giving the boy complete control over where Toothless went. I eyed the device curiously until I realized he was ready to take off.

That was when Spikes chose to came crashing in on us. I'm not even sure where he came from or disappeared to. But it was good to see him again, especially when he knocked the boy off of Toothless. Snowfire only hummed in amusement as the boy struggled to his feet once again, with Spikes still bouncing up and down on his chest.

"Get this thing off me!" he shouted.

"Hm, I don't know," I said in a sing-song voice. "He seems to like you." Spikes looked back at me excitedly before giving the boy a lick on the cheek. I had to laugh at his expression as he tried shaking off the dragon's saliva. "Spikes, off."

Thankfully Spikes listened to me this time and climbed onto my shoulder. I smirked at the kid who was now glaring at me. All the while Toothless just stared at us, one ear up and the other down. At least I assumed those were his ears.

"What exactly is it that you want?" he demanded after cleaning off what he could. Apparently people don't like it when dragons show their affection. I'll have to remember that one the next time I'm under attack.

"All I wanted was to make sure that Toothless was okay," I admitted warily. "And possibly prove to you that I'm not insane." I added the last part with a sheepish grin, knowing full well that's the least I've done. If anything I've probably traumatized the poor kid.

"Wait, you're the one who put that ointment on his tail?" The kid looked at me in surprise.

"Kind of." God I hoped I didn't make it worse. "I just wish there was more I could've done for him." Toothless only crooned and approached me warily before nudging me gently.

"Wow, you really do care." Toothless backed away the moment Snowfire growled at him. It was obvious who the dominant one was around here.

"Well duh, I'm not just gonna sit around and watch him die," I said with a roll of my eyes. "I may be cold but I'm not heartless."

Again I laughed at the expression he gave me. Snowfire simply tilted her head to one side when I said that. Maybe dragons didn't have a sense of irony, or Vikings for that matter.

"Sorry it's just that… things haven't exactly been easy around here," he admitted this time. "Between dragon training and Toothless…." He paused as Toothless nudged his arm.

"I know what that's like," I replied with a nod.

Being stressed was never fun, especially if you had a shitload of work on your shoulders.

"So, do you have a name?" He started rubbing the back of Toothless' neck while talking.

'_He is as strange as you_,' Snowfire suddenly stated. I gave her a smirk before answering, though I doubt he'd be happy with my namesake. It wasn't exactly 'Viking'-like.

"Alex," I said with another shrug.

"Hiccup." For the first time I noticed that he was smiling. "I know, not the best name in the world," he added with a shrug.

"Hey, it's better than most of the names I've heard," I pointed out with a grin.

Sure Hiccup was a strange name. But I'm sure that there are worst names out there.

"Look, I really should be heading back to my island," he suddenly announced. I looked over my shoulder in surprise to see that the sun was already setting. God, how much time was passing since I got here? I've already lost track of the time and day since my iPod died on me.

"Snowfire?" I looked back at the dragon warily, wondering if she would make any move to stop him.

'_He is not a threat_,' she sniffed. '_But I will be keeping an eye on him_.'

"I guess I'll see you around than." I didn't miss the look of relief flashing in his eyes. Obviously he wasn't happy with being a captive, and I couldn't exactly blame him for that. "Thanks again for, not letting her eat me."

"No problem," I replied with a smile.

Toothless made that same crooning sound as Hiccup got into his saddle. I backed away once the Night Fury got ready to leave. Snowfire had to catch me once again before I fell over the ledge.

'_Clumsy human_,' she chided softly. I tried not to grin sheepishly as Toothless took off.

"Well that was… interesting," I murmured once they were gone. I doubt they would ever come back after the way Snowfire had treated them.

'_I believe the proper term for that is curious_,' she told me.

"Hey, you're the one who thought it would be a great idea to bring them here," I reminded her. By now Spikes had climbed off of my shoulder. I was surprised to see that he actually looked sad. Maybe he liked being around other humans.

'_I was only defending my territory_,' she retorted. '_His scent was too much like that of the village_.'

I looked off into the distance, realizing that he probably did come from that village where the dragons were attacking. Maybe that was how he had met the Night Fury. Either way, I was just thankful Toothless had survived.

"Look, not all humans are bad," I snapped. "It just takes time to gain our trust, and yours."

Snowfire gave me a doubtful look. I knew it would take time to get her to believe me. But for now I would leave it be. It's been a long day.

'_Get some rest_,' she murmured. '_Tomorrow will be an important day_.'

This time it was my turn to look at her doubtfully. Somehow I didn't want to know what she meant by that. But I had a feeling it wasn't going to be anything I had in mind.

...

Another Day Gone By

Dear Journal,

So, a lot's happened in one day. I met a kid named Hiccup (which by the way isn't the worst name I've heard), and found that Night Fury again.

But that wasn't my biggest surprise. Hiccup was actually riding the Night Fury! And had saved him! Maybe I could learn a thing or two from them. But of course Snowfire had to traumatize them, and I probably won't ever see them again.

Let's just hope he doesn't tell the village about our little meeting.

~Alex

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><p><strong>AN: Another update and long chapter :) Thanks for all the faves and follows, they're greatly appreciated!<strong>

**silverwolvesarecool - I think I just answered your question ;) And hopefully my updates will stay consistent, but I'm not making any promises with the holidays approaching.**

**InsaneEntity - Thank you! I appreciate your review :)**

**69795 - It sounds like an interesting story, I'll have to check it out when I get the chance!**


	6. First Flight

**Chapter Six**

"Why exactly are we doing this?" I asked as I started pacing along the ledge.

Snowfire sat not far away, rolling her eyes in annoyance at my sudden fear.

I had every right to be afraid. The fact that she had just said I should learn how to fly was the most idiotic thing I've heard in my life. Of course I would never say that out loud. But I couldn't bring myself to admit that I was terrified with the idea of flying.

Why had she even bothered suggesting I do such a thing? I thought wild dragons were supposed to be fearless and powerful, not rely on others.

'_Do not act like a hatchling_,' she scolded when I refused to move. '_Do you wish to be stuck on this island forever_?' I bit the bottom of my lip and thought for a moment.

With all honesty I wasn't even sure what I wanted. One minute I was going on a camping trip with school. And the next I end up here, alone and not sure what to do. To make matters more complicated I had a dragon telling me what to do.

"I thought you'd be happy to get rid of me," I admitted after a few minutes of silence passed. Snowfire looked at me thoughtfully before giving a response to that.

'_I thought of that_,' she replied with a hum of amusement. '_But I have seen how helpless you are on your own_.' I was ready to defend myself when I thought better of it. She did have a good point when she said that. I would probably die in a matter of hours if left on my own. '_Now_, _you shall learn what it is to be a dragon_,' she stated proudly.

I looked at her doubtfully before deciding it was better not to argue. Maybe this wouldn't be so terrifying now that I was ready for it. The last two times had caught me completely off guard. This would be different.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked as she crouched down. This was the first time I had ever gotten onto the back of anything, other than a bike. And that moment alone had terrified me when I was younger. The only reason I kept trying was because mom forced me to.

'_Of course_.'

With one final look at the solid ground, I swallowed back the fear and climbed onto her back. This kind of reminded me of riding a horse in a way. I've seen videos and watched people riding horses, but I've never had that privilege myself.

I took a deep breath as Snowfire stood up to stretch her wings. Behind me I could see Spikes watching us from the tallest boulder he could find. Even though he could fly he still wouldn't be able to keep up with a dragon Snowfire's size.

She didn't give me any warning as to what would happen. I held back a scream of terror when she suddenly launched herself off of the cliff.

My stomach was doing somersaults as she flew higher and higher into the sky. Wind whipped past my face, causing me to narrow my eyes so that I could actually see. I hadn't realized until now how fast she actually was. She was flying at a rate that could overtake a fighter jet easily.

Eventually she flattened herself out so that we were flying straight. I looked around in awe when I saw just how beautiful the sky really was up close. To my surprise the air didn't feel as frigid, and I had to wonder if Snowfire was capable of regulating the temperature around her.

"Okay, I'll admit it, this is amazing," I murmured once she slowed down.

'_I told you that you would like this_,' she replied.

To which I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. I was holding on to her neck for dear life, but the ride was still enjoyable. Snowfire didn't start going lower until she knew for sure I was comfortable. I was still terrified with the prospect of falling off, but surprisingly she kept calm.

I was surprised to see an island shrouded in clouds nearby. Tall snow-capped mountains surrounded the island, along with a forest of pine and cedar trees. It took me a few seconds to recognize the island I'd woken up on. Snowfire had to point it out before I could say anything.

"Isn't it dangerous to fly this close?" I asked warily. Anyone with a good eye could spot us from this distance, right?

'_The clouds make it easy to avoid curious onlookers_,' she explained. Before I could ask what she meant, she flew into a cloud seconds later. I braced myself as my clothing got soaked from the cloud, grumbling in annoyance when I realized it would take hours to dry.

She flew as close to the island as the clouds would allow her. I was surprised that I could see people walking around the village. What really caught my attention though was the fact that all the buildings were new. I could still see what looked like scorch marks on the straw-covered roofs.

"This is where those dragon attacks are, isn't it?" God, I sounded like a little kid asking so many questions. Considering this was all new to me I guess I couldn't blame myself.

'_Yes_.' Snowfire flew over the island and towards the forest. '_The humans here are violent, and do not realize that our kind need their food in order to survive_.'

"But why do you need their food?"

'_Something much larger lives out on another island_.' I flinched when she stopped near what looked like a cove. '_It has the power to control all dragons, small or large_.'

Wow, there was something bigger than her out there? That made me feel a little off.

"So are you effected by this dragon?"

'_Of course not_! _No dragon or human can control me_.'

I couldn't help but grin at that. After spending three days with her I wasn't surprised with that answer.

Finally she started landing until the ground was underneath her talons. I looked at her in confusion until I realized where she had landed.

This was the same cove I saw on our way down here. The same one where…. My heart nearly froze when I saw Toothless looking at us in complete shock. Standing next to him was an equally shocked looking Hiccup.

Snowfire hummed with amusement when she noticed we were just staring at each other. I'm not even sure what compelled her to bring me here. But I did notice the camping supplies next to Toothless, and the alarm that followed.

"Uh, hi again," I said sheepishly.

"Hi…." I tried not to laugh when he said the word slowly, like it was alien to him. "H-How did you get here?"

"On Snowfire," I replied with a grin. "Believe me, I would've rather swam the whole way, but I'd probably freeze before I got here."

"Yeah, probably." Hiccup looked at Snowfire in disbelief as she huffed in annoyance. Flying really was an incredible feeling, but it wasn't something I would do on a daily basis. Not if I could possibly help it.

"I uh, wanted to apologize for yesterday," I added. "Snowfire probably gave you a heart attack when she caught you."

It looked like Toothless and Snowfire were getting along, much to my surprise. The two were making that same crooning noise Toothless had made the other day. After a few seconds they started chasing after each other in the cove like long lost friends.

"Hey, I've been through worse," he replied with a shrug. "This is actually the first time I've seen a White Terror up close," he added when Snowfire suddenly got closer. To my surprise Snowfire stood next to him, eying him warily.

'_He has the soul of a dragon_,' she suddenly stated. That I couldn't help smiling at. I didn't even know what she meant by those words, but I could only imagine it was something good.

"She likes you." I laughed when Snowfire huffed a breath of smoke into his face, causing him to shake his head in annoyance.

To my surprise she actually let him touch her muzzle. Toothless had stopped running around by now and joined us shortly after. I tried not to laugh again when I noticed that Toothless actually looked a little jealous.

"Don't worry bud, you're still my best friend," Hiccup reassured the Night Fury as he began to make that crooning sound again.

"So where were you headed?" I asked after eying the sleeping bag once more. It wasn't anything like mine, but it looked well supplied for a long trip. Something told me Hiccup wasn't expecting me to find him so easily.

He let out a sigh of frustration and leaned against the rock, arms folded as he watched the peaceful cove. I couldn't resist doing the same. To my surprise I hadn't even thought of my world or what might be happening right now.

Was my mom worried about me? Or was this really a dream? I would have thought by now that if it was a dream, I would wake up. The world worked in mysterious ways. Maybe I woke up here for a reason, and that reason had something to do with the dragons.

"My dad wants me to kill a dragon," he finally muttered.

I looked at Hiccup in disbelief. True I'd seen what the villagers did to dragons. I mean look at poor Toothless. He'd lost part of his tail, but Hiccup had helped him regain the ability to fly. Something told me that killing dragons wasn't in his nature.

"Well I can see why you're so frustrated," I murmured sympathetically.

"All my life I wanted to be like him, and now…. Toothless changed everything."

I didn't miss the anguish in his voice.

"Is there any way to convince him that dragons aren't dangerous?" Snowfire had joined me shortly after, a look of concern showing in her eyes.

"I wish." Hiccup threw his hands in the air as if to prove a point. "My dad's probably one of the most stubborn Vikings you'd ever meet."

So I was right about my theory! Ha to those who thought otherwise. But on to the bigger picture…. I could see why Hiccup was so worried. The last thing on his mind was killing a dragon. He'd seen how gentle they can be when treated right.

"Well there's gotta be something you can do."

"Hey, if you've got an idea I'm all ears." Before I could say anything else he suddenly climbed onto the saddle. Toothless had been sitting next to him, eying us both with concern.

'_Foolish human_,' Snowfire chimed as he took off.

"We should probably make sure he doesn't do anything stupid," I muttered with a roll of my eyes. Truth be told I was not looking forward to flying again. The feeling of being in the air had been incredible, but it didn't last long. Now that I was safe on the ground it was tempting to stay here.

'_It will be easy to catch up with them_,' she said in a proud voice.

I tried not to laugh again as I got on her back. Knowing Snowfire she had a competitive spirit. I'd seen it when I was with Spikes, who desperately tried keeping up with us when we were in the forest.

Once Snowfire was in the air I clung on to her neck for dear life. Hiccup was lucky to have a saddle he could hold on to. I had nothing, and I was starting to regret not making something more comfortable to sit on.

Snowfire wasted no time in catching up with them. I leaned forward when I realized that Toothless was already miles away from the island. Hiccup looked over his shoulder in disbelief when he realized that we were following them.

"What are you doing here?" he shouted over the wind.

"Making sure you don't do anything stupid!" I called back.

To which Hiccup just rolled his eyes. I couldn't help but smirk as Snowfire dipped forward and rolled underneath Toothless, causing the Night Fury to yelp in surprise. Finally she was flying in front of him, spreading her wings so that she was twice his size.

'_You are getting better_,' she reassured me.

"Yeah, define better."

"You know, most of the people I know would call you crazy," Hiccup pointed out when they caught up.

"And I'd say they're absolutely right!" I had to laugh at Hiccup's expression. During a typical school day I'd be doing this with the small group of friends I'd had. God I never thought I would miss those days. "So where to?"

"Uh, I'm not sure," he admitted.

'_It appears as though the Night Fury is_,' Snowfire replied. I followed her gaze and noticed that something was off in the way Toothless flew. Instead of flying in a straight path like Snowfire, he was flying in a jagged looking line. I blinked in surprise when I noticed that something was wrong with his eyes. '_Someone is controlling him_!' Snowfire suddenly exclaimed.

Hiccup and I exchanged looks before Toothless suddenly started flying lower to the ocean. Snowfire was quick to follow his path, but she managed to keep her position straight. All the while I noticed that more and more dragons were joining us.

My heart nearly skipped a beat when I saw a two-headed dragon flying next to Toothless. To my surprise I saw that it was holding what looked like a sheep.

"Holy crap!" My breath was nearly taken away by the sight of a large dragon flying between us. Snowfire had to move to the side in order to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. But the dragons weren't attacking like I expected. Instead they followed the same path Toothless took, flying towards what looked like an island shrouded in thick clouds of smoke.

"You okay?" Thankfully Hiccup managed to get away from the large group of dragons. We were headed for what looked like a giant mountain, and I realized in a split second that it was a volcano.

"Never better," I muttered under my breath.

Finally we started heading towards a large cavern. My eyes darted from place to place as the cave started getting warmer and warmer. It didn't take me long to guess that we were in the volcano itself. The heat was almost overwhelming, but thankfully Snowfire was able to keep it from burning us alive.

'_This place is evil_.' I looked at Snowfire warily when she said that. Toothless landed on a perch nearby while Snowfire landed next to him.

"Well it's good to know our food is being thrown into a pit," Hiccup muttered.

"Why would they need all of this food?" I asked.

It looked like time would answer my question. A smaller dragon with a round body and a club-like tail started hovering towards the pit. I pressed myself against Snowfire's back as the small dragon suddenly dropped what looked like half-eaten fish into the pit.

That was when something much bigger reached out of the pit. My heart nearly skipped a beat once again as a pair of huge jaws snapped around the smaller dragon. A roar followed shortly after, sending chills down my back and arms.

"Toothless we need to get out of here," Hiccup suddenly announced.

"Right behind you," I added as Snowfire took off.

The four of us only barely managed to escape. It was the first time since I woke up on that island I realized this wasn't just a dream. This was real, and something big and dangerous was after the other dragons. And it needed to be stopped.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Much longer chapter, yay! I also just got Guardians of the Galaxy, so I'm kind of obsessing over them XD<strong>

**silverwolvesarecool - Yep, pretty much. Although she can only communicate with Alex, and no one else. But I'll explain more on that one later on ;)**

**69759 - Thanks! I know what writer's block is like... that's why I like having more than one story going on, so that I can focus on one story if the other is giving me a hard time for the moment.**


	7. The Plan

**Chapter Seven**

"What the hell was that thing?" I asked as we flew as far away from the volcano as possible. My voice was still trembling from what had happened. The sight of that creature's large jaws and head still made my skin crawl with terror.

'_There is a legend that is spoken of among dragons_,' Snowfire began. '_Of a creature that is as large as a mountain, and can control those who are beneath it_.'

Toothless shook his head as if to agree with her story. He crooned softly at Hiccup as the kid tried reassuring him. But even I had to wonder how such a creature could be stopped, if it was forcing those dragons to attack the village.

"It makes sense," I suddenly muttered. "That thing is like the queen, controlling the other dragons."

"That's the island my dad's been looking for all these years," Hiccup said. The two of us were flying side-by-side now. After what I saw back there I wasn't in any hurry to get eaten by that thing.

'_Dragon Island_,' Snowfire mused. '_Most of our kind claim it as their nest_.'

"So I'm guessing your dad wants to kill all of these dragons?" I said the words quietly, not sure how Snowfire would react. The subject of dragon slaying was obviously unnerving for her.

"Yeah…." Hiccup stopped himself as we reached the island he was from. "Look, I can't let my dad find out about that island. If he does, he'll get himself and everyone else killed."

"Then what do you suggest we do about it?" I asked. "If your dad is as stubborn as you claim he is, I doubt he'll listen to you."

There had to be a way to stop them. Despite the fact that they were using only ships as their source of transportation, it was only a matter of time before they found the island. I had no doubt that if Hiccup was right about his father, than they would find it. And all hell would break lose if that happened.

"Either we could run away and never go back, or tell my dad the truth," he replied after giving it some thought. Running away didn't sound like a bad idea. But I knew I would be full of guilt if anyone died out there because I was a coward.

'_Lying will only make things worse_,' Snowfire pointed out. She did have a good point there. Lying always led to something even worse, as my mom used to say. Then again my dad was a possible liar who ran away, so who was I to complain?

"I vote for telling the truth," I announced loudly. Hiccup just gave me a look of annoyance before nodding in agreement. "So um… what exactly do we tell him?"

"We?" I smirked at the look of surprise that followed.

"Hey, we both saw that thing," I pointed out. "Besides, you shouldn't have to face your father's wrath alone."

Wow, where did that come from? I barely knew the kid and I was willing to help him. Maybe it was because he reminded me a bit of myself.

"Alright," he said thoughtfully. "But uh, I'm not exactly sure how my dad's going to react to well… you." I tried not to smirk as I imagined how his dad would look at me. Considering the way he reacted, I'm sure they'd be much less accepting.

"I'm sure he'll love me," I reassured him with a laugh. "Everyone does!" Wait, do Vikings get sarcasm? Thankfully he just laughed in response.

"Okay, this just got more interesting." I grinned sheepishly as we landed in the protected cove. I'm surprised that no one found this place. One would think with the inhabitants nearby the cove would have been discovered sooner or later.

'_I would rather go back to my island_,' Snowfire reminded me.

"You're welcome to go back any time," I reminded her. Snowfire looked at me incredulously, like that was the craziest thing I've ever said. I just smirked and shrugged as I started walking away.

'_Perhaps I should stay, just in case_.'

"She really trusts you, doesn't she?" Hiccup watched us in amusement as Snowfire nudged my elbow. I looked at him in surprise before realizing that he was right.

"I can't imagine why she would," I admitted with another shrug. "It's not like I've done anything to help."

"Well, you helped Toothless when he needed it," he pointed out. Toothless crooned in what I assumed was agreement.

I couldn't help but blush at that. I was only doing what came to my thoughts first. Though I wouldn't admit that I couldn't just leave him behind while he was in pain. Sometimes it was good to have a conscience. Mom always said that it would prove to be useful in the end.

"Shouldn't we be… going to your village?" I asked nervously.

"Uh, right. My dad's going to kill me when this is over," he muttered under his breath.

I rolled my eyes and followed him out of the small cave that led into the cove. This was really the first time I had walked through the forest during the day. Usually it was at night I had wandered around. And of course it was at night I found Toothless.

As the trees began to part I noticed that we were getting closer to the village. That was when a sudden thought struck my mind.

_What if they attack me_? I couldn't help but wonder that. Hiccup may have been willing to accept my story, but I doubted anyone else would listen to me or believe me. Heck they'd probably throw me into prison, or whatever it is they have when I told them my story.

I tried pushing the thoughts away as we headed towards the village. We walked on in awkward silence. I can understand why Hiccup feels so awkward. We barely knew each other and I was already meeting his father, which would only make things even more awkward.

"Hiccup, where've you been?" I flinched as an older looking man with a peg leg and missing arm approached us. "Stoick's been lookin' for ya lad," he added after Hiccup stopped in his tracks.

"Uh, Gobber…. Uh…. What exactly did he want?" Hiccup ruffled the back of his hair while I watched from behind a tree. Truth be told I'm sure that this…. Gobber guy already spotted me. I wasn't really sure what he would do with someone like me.

"What d'ya think?" Gobber raised an eyebrow before glancing over Hiccup's shoulder. "So, what're ya hiding there?" he demanded.

I tried to hide the fact that I was blushing once again when Gobber pointed at me. With a sigh of frustration I stepped out of my hiding place so that he could see me. Gobber eyed me suspiciously before folding his arms and looking at Hiccup.

"Look, I'm not here to hurt anyone I just… got a little lost," I tried explaining as quickly as possible.

"A little lost?" Gobber looked at me skeptically before glancing at Hiccup again. "So le' me guess, ya think Stoick's gonna be mad about this."

"Yeah, kind of," Hiccup replied with a shrug. "Look, where is dad? We need to talk."

"I can see why." I flinched at the suspicious look Gobber gave me. Something told me everyone would be reacting that way. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. "He's in the house."

"Thanks!" Before I could react Hiccup suddenly grabbed me by the wrist and led me through the village, not bothering to explain what that was all about. All the while I could still feel Gobber's gaze boring into my back.

I'm sure he had a million questions buzzing around his head right now.

By now my heart was pounding as we reached what looked like a large building that had just been constructed. Truth be told I wasn't exactly sure what to expect when I reached the village. I'm so used to modern cities and towns that it was a little off-putting.

Thankfully I wasn't given much of a chance to think it through. My eyes widened when I caught sight of what lay inside the house-like structure. In a way it reminded me of something you would find in a fairy-tale.

The building itself smelled like wood-smoke, almost like someone had a campfire going. I noticed that the structure was being held up by large wooden beams stretching across the ceiling, with a set of stairs leading to a second floor.

"Hiccup, I've been looking for you." Again I couldn't help but flinch as a rather intimidating looking man appeared in front of us. He had the whole viking look going for him, beard and all. "Who is this?" My eyes widened again when his gaze reached mine. I'm pretty sure he could see just how terrified I actually was. Of course it didn't help that Hiccup was grinning like an idiot.

"Uh, dad," Hiccup began after realizing I was glaring at him. "This is Alex, Alex, this is my dad."

I eyed the man in question warily, not quite sure what to make of him. He really was a bit intimidating.

"Where'd you pick this one up son?" he finally asked. To which I found myself blushing in embarrassment.

"Dad, we need to talk," Hiccup suddenly reminded him.

"Of course, you were going to talk about how your dragon training was moving along!" I didn't miss the unease flashing across Hiccup's eyes.

Well I had to hand it to his dad, he sure knew how to change the subject when it wasn't in his favor. From what I gathered this really didn't surprise me. Maybe it was time I stepped in, but something told me that I should keep my mouth shut for now.

"Look, that's not it." Hiccup sighed in frustration as his dad pulled out a chair from the table and sat in front of him, as if expecting the full detail. All the while I was rubbing my arms up and down, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.

This was like that time I walked in on a friends house and their mom was giving them the 'talk'. I could still laugh at my friends expression, had I not heard the whole story at the same time. God, that was probably the most embarrassing five minutes of my life, and hers.

"There's something out there making the dragons attack our village," he suddenly blurted out.

His dad just looked at him like he'd gone insane. I bit the bottom of my lip doubtfully as he stood up and dusted off his outfit. I wasn't even sure what the proper term for that was. Hiccup braced himself as if he was expecting his father to lash out at him, which at this point wouldn't surprise me.

I suddenly wished there was more that I could do to help. But here I felt like it wasn't in my place to speak out for Hiccup's sake.

"Ah son, you just need some rest," he replied after patting him on the shoulder. "And as for your friend…." He looked at me warily before Hiccup shrugged.

"She could stay in the guest room," he pointed out.

Wait, weren't we getting off topic? I thought we were hear to talk about the dragon's nest? I looked over at his dad as he rubbed his beard thoughtfully.

"She doesn't seem like a threat," he muttered. "All right, you can stay."

"But what about the d—" Hiccup cut me off by putting a hand over my mouth, causing me to glare in annoyance.

"I think it's time for us both to get some rest." I was ready to argue when I caught the look he gave me. Clearly there was something he wanted to talk about without his dad eavesdropping. Though I had a feeling that would be easier said than done.

Before I knew what was happening he already led me up the stairs, hand still covering my mouth. By that time I got sick of it and bit his hand, smirking as he yelped in surprise.

"Did you just bite my hand?" I had to laugh at his expression. Wouldn't be the first time I've done something like that, and it certainly wasn't going to be the last.

"What the hell? I thought we went through all of this to tell your dad the big news?" Hiccup threw up his arms in frustration.

"Well what was I supposed to say?" he demanded. By now we had reached what looked like a large room. I looked around in surprise when I saw a desk to one side of the wall covered in sketches and cut marks from a knife. "My dad's not going to listen to me, not unless it has something to with killing dragons," he muttered crossly. "I should've known this plan wouldn't work."

My eyes narrowed thoughtfully as I looked at the sketches scattered across his desk. I had already guessed by now that this was his room, making things even more awkward. But getting to my main point, I was surprised at how beautiful they looked.

There was one sketch that looked like a rock formation he must have found. Another was of a young girl with braided blond hair and a fierce looking face (not the type of person I'd want to piss off). And finally I caught sight of a sketch that resembled Toothless.

"So what now?" I couldn't help but notice another half-finished sketch that was hidden by the others. It looked like a quick sketch of Snowfire, but I wasn't entirely sure. I didn't look long enough to notice.

"I guess… I'm just gonna have to show him what they're really like," he sighed in defeat. "The dragons we have captive are just like Toothless, not personality wise but close enough. If I can show them that the dragons mean no threat, than maybe…." He paused and tried to search for the right words.

"Maybe your dad will finally listen to you," I offered. Hiccup buried his face in his hands before nodding in agreement. "Okay than." I shrugged and rubbed the back of my hair uncomfortably. "So that guest room you were talking about…." Hiccup finally looked up in embarrassment when he realized what I meant by that.

"Uh, right," he murmured. "Sorry, it's the second room to your left." I was ready to turn around and memorize his directions when he suddenly stopped me. "Hey uh, I just wanted to say thanks," he added sheepishly.

"What for?" I looked at him in surprise. There wasn't really anything I had helped him with, other than probably getting yelled at by his dad. Which thankfully hasn't happened yet.

"For listening to me," he replied with a shrug. "You're probably the first person who's ever actually listened to me."

I couldn't stop the heat from rising to my cheeks once again. Luckily he didn't take notice to that.

No guy I've ever met was like Hiccup. And I'm starting to realize that may actually be a good thing. He's gotta be one of the friendliest kids I've met.

"And thank you, for not thinking I was completely insane," I said with a laugh.

Thankfully there wasn't much left to be said after that. I was already feeling exhausted enough after all the stress from today. And I hadn't realized until now how much time had passed since this morning.

It was as soon as I reached the room Hiccup mentioned that I wondered what my mom was up to. Or if anyone at home had even bothered missing me. I hadn't realized until now how much I missed her. Or my friends, as few as I had.

The room itself wasn't much to look at, but I wasn't complaining. I was just happy to have a bed I could lay on. I couldn't even remember the last time I slept on a bed. By today I really had lost track of how long I've been here. Now all of a sudden I was beginning to wonder if I would ever see my friends and family again. And for the first time since I woke up, I started crying.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Okay, not the best ending, but it is an ending. And apologies for the long delay in update. Blame Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. They have been keeping me away :P I've also had a minor case of writer's block as well so... yeah. Sorry. By the way, is anyone else listening to Christmas music yet? I've been listening to Casting Crown's and MercyMe's Christmas albums a lot lately...<strong>

**silverwolvesarecool - You'll have to keep reading to find out ;) Hopefully the next update won't take as long!**

**69759 - Hehe, sorry ^^" I didn't know that. But I do know that feeling of procrastination. One of my worst enemies when it comes to doing actual work :P**

**ZambleTheZombie - Who says she isn't staying? :P**


	8. The Final Test

**Chapter Eight**

I can't believe that I was actually crying. It was the first time in years that I actually did cry, and to make matters worse it had to be in someone's house.

Okay, that sounded wrong even to me. Sleep hadn't exactly come easily to me that night. Even with a comfortable bed to sleep on I couldn't catch any shut-eye. I knew it was a combination of stress, not knowing what would happen and several other factors. And it was driving me crazy.

With a sigh of frustration I decided it was time to get up. The small window on the side told me it was already morning. Or at least I hoped that was the case. I didn't want to wake up and find out I had missed Hiccup's big event.

Despite the lack of sleep I managed to remember where everything was for the most part. The room I was in was a bit smaller than Hiccups, and I hadn't even seen his dad's room. Not that I would want to. I shuddered at the thought of what _that_ might look like.

To my surprise Hiccup was already awake. He was sitting at a round wooden table looking through what looked like a book of some kind. As I walked into the room I was suddenly reminded of the fact that I'd been wearing the same clothes for the last who knew how long. I didn't even want to know what I looked like at this point. I'm sure that I was a mess.

"Morning," I muttered after sitting next to him. I tried not to smirk when Hiccup jumped in surprise. Clearly he wasn't expecting me to wake up so early, either that or he was so focused on the book that he didn't notice my arrival. "What are you reading?"

"The uh, Book of Dragons," he explained sheepishly. I nodded as he showed me a page with words I couldn't read scribbled on them. Yet another reminder that I didn't belong in his world. Viking wasn't exactly a language I understood.

"Trying to figure out what that thing we saw was?" I asked absentmindedly.

"Yeah, something like that," he replied in what I thought was a bored tone. "Look, I'm not finding anything in the book about these things," he muttered under his breath.

"Snowfire seemed to know a lot about it." I eyed the wood carefully as I thought of what she had told me. "She said that most dragons are under it's control, but for some reason she's managed to block it out for most of her life."

Of course I didn't even know Snowfire for that long. But I could only assume that she has been able to avoid that dragon for most of her life. For some reason he was able to control dragons like Toothless, and those who weren't bonded with humans.

"Either way even with that information this dragon's gonna be tough to take down," he sighed in frustration.

I bit the bottom of my lip, realizing that he was probably right. Even if there was a way to defeat this big bad dragon there's no way we could do it alone. We'd need a team or something that could handle that thing.

"Well than I'm not sure what we could do," I murmured. I thought the whole point of going to his village was to convince his dad that dragons weren't a threat. But if that dragon did pose a threat, than there was a possibility his dad would never believe him.

"Wait, what do you mean by 'we'?" he suddenly asked. I looked at him in surprise before rolling my eyes.

"I mean there's no way in hell you're taking that dragon on by your own," I snapped. "Not if there's anything I can do to help.

I surprised even myself by saying that. There was a time when the thought of a fight would find me running for the next corner to hide in. Yet here I was putting my life at risk for someone I barely knew. I couldn't believe how much I had changed in a short time.

Hiccup looked at me with his mouth hanging open before shrugging it off.

"Uh, thanks," he said sheepishly.

"So… your dad seems nice enough." Wow, way to make things even more awkward. But I wasn't sure what else to say after that. Might as well start a random conversation that has nothing to do with what we were planning.

"Yeah, as nice as stubborn and Viking-like can get," he muttered once again. I couldn't help but laugh at that.

Thankfully Hiccup had finally offered a fresh change in clothes after realizing how badly I needed them. I couldn't even remember the last time I'd changed, and I'm pretty sure the stink was attracting flies. Luckily though he didn't seem to notice, or care for that much. I didn't even want to know how he'd managed to find clothing my size. I was just grateful to have something I could change into.

After that we spent the rest of the morning exploring the village. To my surprise Hiccup showed me some of his favorite spots, either to get away from people or just enjoy the day. People stopped by to ask who I was or where I came from. I was even more surprised when they seemed to accept my explanation.

Well, it wasn't exactly an accurate explanation. But it was the best I had without making myself look crazier than usual.

"They don't seem that bad," I pointed out when we reached what looked like a forge of some type. It didn't take me long to realize that it was a weapon's forge. The building looked similar to the ones surrounding it, only a stand with several types of axes and swords could be seen outside.

"Yeah, they may seem nice now but looks can be deceiving." I didn't miss the emotion behind his response. Clearly there was something else going on between him and the villagers that he didn't want to talk about. I decided not to press him any further as we headed for the forge, only to be stopped by a group of kids appearing to be around his age.

Already I could see how tense Hiccup was as they joined us. I couldn't help but eye them warily as I caught sight of them for the first time. In all they looked like the type of kids I'd see hanging out in high school. Even the huskily built kid looked better off in the small group of four.

"Please tell me there isn't another you around here." Hiccup only ruffled the back of his hair in embarrassment when the blond with her hair braided to one side spoke up first. I didn't need to look twice to realize that she was the same girl from the drawling I'd seen in his room.

"Hey everyone, this is Alex," Hiccup introduced them shortly after, and I just folded my arms while watching them carefully. Only the girl known as Astrid seemed to match my gaze with a glare. The tall guy with muscles was known as Snotlout (another wonderful name), and the twins were known as Roughnut and Toughnut. Last but not least was a heavily built kid who Hiccup called Fishlegs.

"Uh, hi." I tried to smile despite the overwhelming urge to glare back. Astrid was giving me the death stare, and while I could understand why it was still unnerving.

"So what's a strange little chick like you doing in our village?" Snotlout suddenly shoved Hiccup aside, receiving a vengeful look seconds later.

I could see why Hiccup was so put off. My eyes rolled in disgust before I gently pushed him away.

"Hiccup was just showing me around," I explained. "It's kind of difficult to explain without boring you with the details."

Snotlout looked at me with his mouth hanging open, standing back in disbelief. I could already imagine he was probably the most popular kid on the island, or was more likely the bully. So being pushed around by some random girl was probably a huge shock for him.

"Don't you have a dragon killing test to attend?" Fishlegs suddenly asked after it got uncomfortably silent.

"We were just on our way over there," Hiccup quickly replied. I looked at him in surprise until remembering the plan. There was no way he could kill a dragon. At least I was hoping that would be the case. Fishlegs just smiled sheepishly at me while the twins looked on with raised eyebrows.

I'm pretty sure no one was expecting me to react that way. Then again I only just met them. I was probably just over-expecting things once again.

"You seem more tense than usual," I said as we made our way towards the end of the island.

To my surprise there was a large looking arena at the island's tip. It reminded me of something you might find at a zoo containing dangerous animals. A metal mesh covered the top to keep the dragons from escaping. And surrounding the large field where I'm guessing the dragons were killed was a large grandstand.

"Just nervous," he murmured. "I have no idea how my dad is going to react."

He had a good point when it came to stating his fears. I'd be worried too if mom found out what kind of danger I was putting myself in. She would probably ground me for life. Then I reminded myself once again that she wasn't hear to tell me otherwise.

A large crowd had already gathered in the arena by the time we arrived. I recognized Gobber and a few other familiar faces in the crowd. Some of them looked at me in surprise as I walked in beside Hiccup. A sudden unease washed over me as I realized that everyone was watching.

"Well I can show my face in public again!" I looked up in surprise to see Hiccup's dad standing in the center of the gathered crowd. He was situated between Gobber and an elderly looking woman clinging on to a staff. Once the crowd died down he continued speaking, and it only just dawned on me that Hiccup's father was the town's Chief.

"Your dad is the Chief?" I asked in a whisper.

"Unfortunately, yes," Hiccup replied.

"If anyone would have told me that within a few short weeks, Hiccup would go from being…. well Hiccup, to placing first in dragon training, I would've tied them to a mast and shipped them off for fear of going mad!" Everyone laughed at that, and I couldn't help but narrow my eyes in annoyance. Didn't his dad notice how hurtful his words were? "And you know it too!" By now the crowd was roaring with laughter, and his father had to wait for silence in order to continue. "But, here we are. And no one is more surprised or proud than I am. Today, my boy becomes a Viking. Today, he becomes one of us!"

The cheering suddenly continued, and I couldn't help but feel sorry for Hiccup once more. Here he was ready to prove his dad wrong. And the crowd was cheering that he would finally become one of them. A dragon killer.

"Hey, you'll be careful out there with that dragon, right?" I suddenly asked. We were stopped by the entrance leading to the arena, and I could already feel the anticipation buzzing around me. People were actually looking forward to watching an innocent creature die. My stomach felt a little queasy at that.

"It's not the dragon I'm worried about," he admitted while looking at his father.

"Just remember that I'll try helping if I can," I reminded him. Jumping down into the arena might be considered suicide, but I wasn't about to let him put his life at risk if the dragon decided to attack.

"Alex, if anything happens to me, please just don't let them find Toothless," he suddenly whispered.

"I will." I couldn't take my eyes off of him as he took a deep breath. That was when Gobber chose to join us. I hadn't even noticed him slipping away from the crowd so that he could be with Hiccup.

"It's time Hiccup, knock 'em dead," he said.

Hiccup nodded before walking over to the gate. I stood beside Gobber as the gate opened, revealing the large fighting arena. Hiccup walked outside after placing a helmet on his head for better protection. Once the gate was closed I wasted no time in getting close enough so that I had a good view.

He reached for the nearest shield as the gate started rising. I could already feel my skin crawling with unease as a low growl sounded from the gate. Once the gate was opened enough that same creature I saw earlier burst out of the darkness. I think I remembered Hiccup calling it a Monstrous Nightmare, or something like that.

I jumped back in surprise as the Monstrous Nightmare blew a fireball towards the gate I stood at. It's entire body was covered in flames as it tried looking for an escape route. Not that I blamed it for wanting to get out.

By the time the flames went out the Monstrous Nightmare had turned so that it was facing Hiccup. I watched on in horror as the dragon loomed over him, glaring daggers. It took a few seconds for me to remind myself of what he was trying to do.

"Go on Hiccup, get 'em!" someone shouted from the crowd.

Slowly but surely Hiccup had started walking back, all the while letting the Monstrous Nightmare walk up to him. I knew what he was doing before it even happened. He was trying to gain the Nightmare's trust. And for now it seemed to be working.

"Hey, it's okay… it's okay," he murmured softly. The Monstrous Nightmare let out a growl as Hiccup slowly reached for his helmet. "I'm not one of them." He threw off the helmet, catching the Monstrous Nightmare off guard.

"Stop the fight!" Hiccup's father shouted. My hands were clinging on to the door as I watched. At this rate the Monstrous Nightmare was going to attack; his dad was only making things worse.

"No! I need you all to see this," Hiccup retorted. He slowly reached forward with his hand as the Monstrous Nightmare watched him warily. "They're not what we think they are. We don't have to kill them." He was ready to touch the Monstrous Nightmare when his father's shouting ruined it all.

"I said stop the fight!" he cried, banging a fist against the metal bars.

The moment he hit the bars was when the Monstrous Nightmare's eyes narrowed into slits. I cringed when the dragon suddenly lashed out and tried snapping off Hiccup's waiting hand. Luckily he got away just in time, narrowly avoiding losing it. Of course the Monstrous Nightmare chose that moment to start chasing after him.

"Hiccup!" I wasted no time in trying to open the gate. His father was already making his way towards the fight, barreling past anyone who stood in the way. I didn't care whether or not I had no weapon, I just needed to stop this from getting out of hand.

I spotted a dagger nearby and threw it at the dragon, hoping to cause some kind of distraction. Unfortunately the dagger narrowly missed hurting it, and the Monstrous Nightmare turned so that it was facing me instead.

"I really need to think these plans through more," I muttered as I started running. Hiccup tried grabbing another shield, but the Monstrous Nightmare charged right past him, tossing aside the weapons in the process.

"Get out of here!" he shouted.

"Quickly, this way!" I hadn't even noticed his dad catching up with us.

With one final glance over my shoulder I ran over to the gate, but the Monstrous Nightmare blew another fireball. Hiccup was caught in the crossfire, running in the opposite direction when he realized the dragon was gaining on him. I turned around just in time to see the Monstrous Nightmare had Hiccup pinned in a corner.

My heart was pounding with fear when I realized what was about to happen. That was when I heard a distinctive screech. I'd only heard that sound once before, and recognized it anywhere. Sure enough when I looked up I saw Toothless barreling into the arena, firing a plasma blast.

"Night Fury!" I heard Gobber shout as Toothless landed next to Hiccup.

The Monstrous Nightmare didn't hold anything back as it tried attacking Toothless. All I could do was stand and watch as the Monstrous Nightmare grabbed Toothless by the neck. The two were in a tussle until Toothless managed to shake it off.

The two started having a roaring match shortly after. I couldn't tell who was loudest at this point. My ears were still ringing from having that dragon so close up. Luckily though it didn't last long as Toothless managed to drive off the Monstrous Nightmare.

Once the Monstrous Nightmare backed off Hiccup tried shooing Toothless away before things went from bad to worse. Although at this point I didn't think that was even possible.

"Alright Toothless go, get out of here!" Hiccup shouted. He looked up in time to see everyone grabbing their weapons, including his own father. I struggled to open the gate as they started climbing into the arena, ready to attack Toothless as if he was the enemy. "Go! Go!" He tried shoving Toothless away, but the Night Fury wouldn't listen. By the time I managed to get the gate open his dad had approached him with an axe in hand. "No, dad! He won't hurt you!"

Toothless saw his dad as the enemy. My heart nearly skipped a beat when Toothless knocked away the other Vikings and charged into his father, pinning him to the ground. Toothless let out a roar and was ready to fire a plasma blast when Hiccup stopped him.

"Toothless, stop!" Toothless stopped just in time, only to have a fist slammed into his side. The other Vikings chose that moment to rush in and attack, tying Toothless up before he could get away. "No please, don't hurt him!"

It was hard to watch. I've never felt so helpless before. Toothless just gave Hiccup a desperate look as he was dragged away under his father's orders. Everything we had hoped for ended up going wrong in a matter of seconds. And I had a feeling that things were only going to get worse from here.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And here's my longest chapter yet. I only just realized that I missed out on a few things when updating this, so apologies for that. I'm not sure if I'll be doing edits for this story, but if I do than it will likely happen later on. So, until next time! Hope you all have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving! :D<strong>

**silverwolvesarecool - But wait, there's more to come XD Thanks again for reviewing!**

**69759 - Haha, I know that feeling! And Greek is pretty cool, I've never thought of using that language! Although I'll admit Latin is one of my favorite languages. :)**


	9. A Crazy Idea

**Chapter Nine**

The village was in an uproar as Stoick dragged Hiccup out of the arena. I only barely managed to tag along as people started asking where the hell I came from. Knowing them they would likely throw me in with the dragons if I told the truth now. Things were already chaotic as it was.

Finally we reached a large building that Hiccup had called the Great Hall. It was where all of the Vikings in his village gathered to have feasts and celebrations of all sorts. According to Hiccup it was the one of the loudest places in the village. And suddenly I could see why.

I got in just as the door slammed shut, hiding behind one of the pillars while taking everything in. His dad looked more pissed than ever as he turned to face Hiccup. I don't think I've ever seen anyone's face so red before.

"I should have known, I should've seen the signs!" Stoick turned once again with his back to Hiccup. "We had a deal!"

"I know we did, but that was before I… ah it's so messed up!" Hiccup shook his head in frustration. Now I could see why Hiccup had such a hard time getting along with his dad. His dad wasn't going him the chance to explain what had happened.

"So everything in the ring, a trick? A lie?" By now Stoick was shouting, and even I was starting to get annoyed with it.

"I screwed up," Hiccup began once more, "I should've told you. I just…. Take this out on me. But please don't hurt Toothless." Finally I decided it was time to intervene before Hiccup made things worse for himself.

"Sir," I started after stepping out of my hiding place. Stoick looked at me in surprise while Hiccup rubbed his forehead in frustration. "Look, all of this is my fault," I explained warily. "If you're gonna be pissed with anyone, it should be me."

Stoick just looked at me like I was crazy. And I probably was for throwing myself out here. But I didn't care right now. I couldn't just stand by and do nothing while Hiccup received the full punishment for something he didn't do.

"It's the dragon you're more concerned about? Not your own people?" Stoick glared down at us, and all of a sudden I realized the situation I've put myself in.

_Oh come on_, _I barely know your people_! I desperately wanted to shout. Okay, maybe I was stepping out of the line by speaking up. Right now it was important his father actually understood the amount of danger he and his people were in.

"He was just protecting me, he's not dangerous," Hiccup shot back.

"They've killed hundreds of us!" Stoick shouted.

"And we've killed thousands of them!" Hiccup wasted no time in letting his voice be heard. And for the first time I noticed how brave he was by standing up for Toothless and the other dragons. Unfortunately it seemed like his father was in no hurry to listen.

"They're just trying to defend themselves," I pointed out as Stoick started pacing.

"They raid us because they have to," Hiccup continued explaining. "If they don't bring enough food they'll get eaten themselves. There's something else out there that's bigger than them. It's a dragon the size—"

Stoick cut him off with a wave of his hand. Only than did I realize the mistake Hiccup had made. His eyes widened when he realized too late what just happened.

"Island?" Stoick asked with renewed interest. "So you've been to their nest?"

"D-d-did I say nest?" Hiccup stammered.

"How did you find it?" Stoick demanded.

"I-I didn't find it," Hiccup explained. "Toothless did. Only a dragon can find it." By now Stoick was leaning towards him, causing him to step backwards out of fear. Already my mind was working out ways to get out of this mess.

"Please sir," I started, hoping Stoick would at least somehow listen to me, "You don't know what you're up against. It's like nothing you've ever seen."

Stoick just ignored me and shoved Hiccup aside. "Dad, I swear you can't win this one!" he shouted one last desperate time. "For once in your life would you just listen to me?" All I could do was watch as Hiccup tried stopping his father, only to be pushed away once again.

"You're throwing your lot in with them?" Stoick demanded after shoving him to the floor. "You're not a Viking. You're not my son." I think by now my heart had nearly skipped a beat when he said that. "Ready the ships!" he shouted after pushing the doors open.

If I could I would've beaten the crap out of Stoick for saying such a thing. No son ever wanted their father to say that, especially during a time like this. All I could do now was help him up while the others got ready to leave.

"Well, now I can see what you meant about your dad," I muttered under my breath.

In a way Stoick reminded me of my own father. I had barely known him but I could remember all those nights spent with him. Mom would work late night shifts at the hospital when she had the chance. And that only meant being stuck with dad for hours on end.

A shudder ran through me as I remembered that one night. Dad had been so pissed for some reason. I couldn't remember why, but I did remember that he took his anger out on me. My thoughts ran back to the scar on my shoulder from where he'd hurt me. Of course that was long before he'd left us.

I shook my head at the thoughts, realizing that now wasn't the time to think about it. Right now Hiccup needed more help than ever. There had to be a way to help free Toothless and save his people from that beast of a dragon.

"Hiccup!" I looked up in surprise to see the blond with a curled ponytail approaching us. Instead of looking angry I saw worry flashing in her eyes. "What was that all about? I thought—" Hiccup cut her off with a glare. It was the first time I had ever seen Hiccup act this way. Then again I barely knew him, so who was I to judge?

"Astrid, not now," he muttered crossly. "I've gotta fix this." Astrid was ready to argue when she thought better of it. Hiccup than turned to me, a look of determination suddenly written across his face. "We need to get to the cove, maybe there's a way we can catch up to them."

"Snowfire can easily catch up," I replied. "Though I doubt she'd want to help them. She's not particularly fond of humans." I didn't miss the look of confusion in Astrid's eyes. It was kind of funny watching her reaction. I'm sure she was trying to figure out what the hell we were talking about.

"Well we have to try something!" He threw his arms up in frustration.

"What about the other dragons?" Astrid suddenly asked. The two of us looked at her in disbelief. "Hey, I'm not blind. It's obvious you two are hiding something, and it has something to do with the dragons." I couldn't help but blush when I noticed the look she was giving us. She obviously thought there was something more going on, and I for one was more than ready to object with that accusation.

"That might be crazy enough to work," he murmured thoughtfully. I didn't miss the look he gave me. With a firm nod I ran for the door, ready to fetch Snowfire. Hopefully she would be in a listening mood.

...

Snowfire looked at me in disbelief as I told her what happened. I could already read the emotions in her eyes when I explained what had happened to Toothless. She was going to blame Hiccup's father for this. I could see it happening before she spoke.

'_We must do what we can to help_,' she suddenly crooned. All I could do was stare at her in shock as she brushed my hand with her muzzle.

"Hiccup's dad is an ass, that much I've learned," I muttered.

'_Be that as it may, it is our duty as dragon and rider to protect them_.' Snowfire's eyes locked with mine, and sudden understanding washed over me.

Everything I had been through was because we were connected. Somehow our lives had crossed paths. I wasn't even sure how or when it happened at this point. But what I did know was that there was a bond between us that couldn't be broken. Snowfire gave a faint nod before pushing away my hand.

"Thank you," I whispered. "Without you I'd still be wandering around lost in the woods." Snowfire hummed in amusement at my statement.

'_Destiny works in strange ways_,' she told me.

I nodded in agreement and climbed onto her back as she crouched down. Snowfire flared her wings open and took off, and in seconds we had reached the training arena. Hiccup had already gathered the kids inside by the time we got there. Snotlout was ready to grab his sword when Astrid stopped him just in time.

"No weapons, not now," she warned him. Snowfire landed nearby with a low warning growl. Only Hiccup wasn't intimidated by her appearance.

"This is your plan?" one of the twins, I think her name was Ruffnut, asked.

"Look, dragons aren't dangerous," I pointed out. Snowfire nudged my arm as if to prove a point. "They're just more afraid of us than we are of them."

"And we don't have to kill them," Hiccup continued for me. "If we show that we're not a threat, they'll become more than just our friends."

'_We become a family_,' Snowfire finished for him. All of them looked at her in shock. '_It requires a great deal of trust for me to share my knowledge with humans_. _Do not take this lightly_.'

"So, where do we start?" Fishlegs asked.

Even Snotlout looked lost for words as I helped Hiccup open the first gate. The Monstrous Nightmare was the first to emerge from the gate. Snotlout was ready to grab his sword once more when Astrid pulled it away.

"Just take it easy with him," Hiccup reassured him. "Remember, they won't see you as a threat if you let them approach you."

I tried not to laugh as Snotlout reached out shakily with his hand. The Monstrous Nightmare looked just as nervous before nudging his hand gently. Snotlout opened one eye when he realized what had happened and laughed nervously.

It wasn't long after that we let out the other dragons, consisting of a bulky looking Grunkle, a Deadly Natter and a two-headed Zippleback. Luckily Hiccup had already told me their names before starting. Astrid was paired with the Deadly Natter while Fishlegs took the Grunkle, and the twins fought over who would fly the Zippleback. Eventually Astrid had to force them both to fly them just to stop the arguing.

"Are you sure this plan will work?" Astrid asked as Hiccup and I climbed onto Snowfire's back.

"I'm never really sure of anything," I said with a laugh.

'_Let us hope these humans can work together_,' Snowfire put in. I nodded in agreement before we all took off. Things were about to get interesting.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Shorter chapter this time, but it can't be helped. And yes, Snowfire did just do that :P Hope everyone who celebrates it had a wonderful Thanksgiving, mine was awesome as usual! ^^<strong>

**EDIT: Just realized I was spelling Ruffnut's name wrong XD Fixed it though. Please let me know if there are any other spelling errors I should fix!**

**silverwolvesarecool - Sorry, I have been kind of neglecting her haven't I? But she did have a few more lines in this chapter ^^"**

**69759 - Wow, that is a long chapter! I can't imagine writing something with that many words... I'd find that a bit overwhelming just to read! My limit is 5k if I can keep it that long.**


	10. Conquering The Red Death

**Chapter Ten**

"You okay?" I couldn't help but worry over Hiccup's reaction to the way his own father had treated him. We flew on in silence, well, as silent as it could get with four other riders. Snotlout was exclaiming over how fast his dragon was, and trying to decide what to name him. Astrid was concentrating on what lay ahead of her, while Fishlegs marveled over the fact that he was actually riding on the back of a Grunkle. As for the twins, well, that was another story in itself.

"I'll be happy once we free Toothless," he replied. Even Snowfire could sense his uneasiness. She flew in the same path that Toothless had taken during our first flight together. Already a thin mist had begun to spread around us.

"I've never seen a White Terror up close," Fishlegs admitted once he got close enough. "Is it true she can breathe ice as well?" Snowfire let out a huff of smoke that caused his Grunkle to squeal in surprise.

"Yeah."

"So what, are you two like a couple now?" I almost wished I had a camera at that moment when Tuffnut asked the question. My face twisted from a look of pure shock to a fit of laughter seconds later. Even Snowfire looked a bit put off by my reaction.

"Of course not," Hiccup quickly replied. I didn't miss the look flashing in Astrid's eyes either. She looked taken aback by the question, and I noticed a small spark of jealousy as well. "We're just friends," he said reassuringly.

I nodded in agreement, still unable to speak. It wasn't just the fact that Stoick was the Chief of Berk. But the fact that we were worlds apart made a huge difference as well. I'm the kind of girl who's terrified of heights. Yet here I was sitting on the back of a talking dragon. And I was the kind of girl who liked to get herself into trouble. Hiccup definitely wasn't that type of guy, as much as I didn't know.

Thankfully they didn't say anything else after that. The island was approaching fast. I could already see the creature we'd seen earlier stumbling out of the volcano. Smoke and falling debris surrounded the mountain like a thick cloud. Finally Snowfire threw a blast of fire at the dragon, causing it to turn and face us.

"Ruffnut, Tuffnut, watch your backs!" Hiccup shouted. "Move Fishlegs!" The twins aimed their Zippleback further away from the dragon, flying at a speed that almost matched the Deadly Natter. Fishlegs managed to speed up the Grunkle after realizing he was falling behind.

"Check us out!" Tuffnut shouted. Stoick and Gobber were watching us in amazement. "We're on dragons!"

"For the record, this was all her idea," Snotlout shouted while pointing at me. I only rolled my eyes in annoyances while Snowfire let out a roar, causing his dragon to fly in a circle. "Hey!"

'_Foolish hatchlings_!' Snowfire shouted. '_Taking on a creature like that is asking for death_!' It looked like Stoick and Gobber were ready to drop dead when they realized Snowfire was actually speaking to them.

"Every bit of boar-headed stubborn Viking you ever were!" Gobber shouted.

"Fishlegs, break it down," Hiccup ordered.

"Okay, heavily armored skull, and tail head made for bashing and crushing. Watch out for both," Fishlegs explained. I watched with wide eyes as the creature destroyed one of the boats with a stomp of it's foot. "Small eyes, large nostrils, relies on hearing and smell."

"Snotlout, Fishlegs, see if it has a blind spot. Make some noises and keep it confused," Hiccup told them. "Ruffnut, Tuffnut, find out how many shots it has. Make it mad."

"That's my specialty!" Ruffnut exclaimed with a grin.

"Since when? Everyone knows I'm more irritating! See?" Tuffnut said after turning the Zippleback's head upside down. I couldn't help but smirk at that. Some things never change.

"Astrid, see if it has a weak spot," Hiccup added to Astrid. She nodded before taking off towards the dragon. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he told them.

With that being said, we flew off to find out where Toothless was. Snowfire was already pinpointing his location before Hiccup spotted him. We landed not far away from what was left of a burning ship. Snowfire shook her head irritably as Hiccup got off and rushed in to rescue Toothless.

'_Those children speak the truth_,' she suddenly pointed out.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I demanded, my voice barely a whisper. The last thing I wanted was for anyone to hear me, other than Snowfire.

'_You and that hatchling are oddly close_,' she hummed in amusement. To which I just rolled my eyes again. For the last time, we were _not_ a couple!

"Come on, we need to go and help the others," I suddenly reminded her. I could tell Snowfire was ready to say more, but thankfully she kept silent. We flew higher to keep an eye on the dragon as it started focusing on the other riders.

Snowfire shot another blast of fire at the dragon, causing it to turn it's head towards us. The creature let out a roar of fury until Snotlout started banging on the shield he'd taken with him. Once it was distracted Snowfire fired a shot of ice. Fishlegs and Snotlout were working together to keep the dragon distracted.

Unfortunately the noise was becoming too much for them. I narrowed my eyes when I realized that the noise caused a distraction for them as well. Snotlout suddenly landed on the dragon when the Monstrous Nightmare threw him off. I tried not to laugh when he started throwing his hammer down on the dragon's eye.

"Yeah, you're the viking!" Astrid shouted, making Snotlout grin triumphantly.

The dragon chose that time to threw up it's head, shaking off Snotlout in the process. Luckily Snotlout held on to the scale for dear life, refusing to let go.

I looked down just in time to see the dragon smash one of the boats with it's foot. My eyes widened in horror when I realized that Hiccup was on that boat with Toothless. The trap holding Toothless down started to sink while Hiccup was trying to free it. He jumped into the water without hesitation after Toothless disappeared seconds later.

"No!" Snowfire lunged towards the ocean but was stopped by the swinging tail of the larger dragon. She clamped her jaws shut around the dragon's tail, causing it to roar in pain and fury at the sudden pain. "Doesn't that hurt?" I winced at the sound of bone crunching under her teeth. Or at least I was hoping that was bone.

'_No more than this will_!' Snowfire suddenly fired a blast of ice at the dragon's tail before letting go. She spat blood from her mouth as she flew higher in the air to avoid getting hit by the club-like tail.

"How many more shots do you have?" I asked warily. According to Hiccup all dragons had a limit as to how much fire they breathed.

'_More than enough to take this Red Death down_,' she replied. Huh, well now I knew the name of that dragon. Red Death did seem like a fitting name.

Thankfully Hiccup had gotten Toothless free just in time. We were all getting worn out. This Red Death was putting up a damn good fight. Then again I'd never had a fight like this before. I could imagine what my mom would say if she saw me now. I'd be more than just grounded for life.

"He's up!" Astrid shouted. She flew closer to us as Ruffnut and Tuffnut joined us. "Get Snotlout out of there!"

"I'm on it," I replied. I flew Snowfire to where Snotlout was hanging on for dear life. "Keep it distracted," I added to the twins. They nodded in agreement before taking off to keep the Red Death distracted. Luckily their arguing seemed to keep everyone distracted.

Snotlout jumped off the horn of the Red Death and was caught by Snowfire's talons. That was when the Red Death opened it's mouth and started sucking in air. I watched on in amazement as it tried sucking in Astrid and her Deadly Natter.

The familiar screech of Toothless sounded seconds later. Snowfire dropped Snotlout on the beach nearby just as Toothless fired a plasma blast at the Red Death. Astrid fell off of the Deadly Natter, letting out a cry of surprise. Toothless caught her just in time before landing nearby to drop her.

"Go!" she whispered.

"Any chance that thing can fly?" I suddenly asked. This fight had gone on long enough. There had to be a way that Red Death could be taken down, without the risk of losing any lives.

'_It has wings_,' Snowfire replied.

Hiccup must have been thinking the same thing. Toothless fired a shot of plasma at one of the Red Death's wings. Snowfire took off and fired a shot of ice at the other wing. We caught up with them in a matter of seconds as the Red Death started taking flight.

"That thing doesn't seem to have any end," I muttered.

"We need to end this before it gets worse," Hiccup reminded me.

Yeah but how are we supposed to— My thoughts were cut off when the dragon suddenly fired an explosion of flames at us. Snowfire managed to block the heat by regulating the air around. By now the Red Death was high in the sky along with the both of us. I could barely make out Toothless in the cloud of smoke while we flew in the opposite direction.

'_That creature is confused now_,' Snowfire suddenly pointed out. '_Confusion will lead to_—'

"Frustration, got it," I cut her off. The Red Death tried turning around but was stopped by more plasma blasts from Toothless. Finally it stopped in it's tracks and tried overtaking Toothless. "Now!" Snowfire fired a shot of flames at the Red Death, not missing a heartbeat as she swerved to the right. Unfortunately she also happened to be in the path of the dragon's tail as it swung in our direction. I held back a cry of shock as the tail smashed into her, causing Snowfire to careen towards the ground in a spiral. "Snowfire, wake up!" I held on to her for dear life as we came dangerously close to the ground.

It took me a few seconds to realize what had happened. Snowfire had lost consciousness. And we were crashing to the ground. Of all the things to happen, this had to be the most terrifying. I hated heights enough to begin with, and now this was happening.

'_Hold on_.' Before I knew what was happening, a pair of wings suddenly blocked my vision. Seconds later and we were rolling along the beach, causing pebbles to scatter along the way. I couldn't help but open up my eyes after having them closed for what felt like hours.

"Snowfire?" My voice sounded shaken as I pressed a hand against her neck, careful not to hurt her.

'_Forgive me for startling you, little one_,' she crooned softly. I let out a sigh of relief when I realized she was alright.

"I thought you were…. I thought we…." I choked back on the words, realizing that I couldn't speak properly.

'_We are safe_,' she reassured me.

"What about the others?" Snowfire gently lifted a wing to reveal the damage caused by the battle.

Along the shoreline I could see the remains of broken ships. The dragons had also landed nearby once the battle was over. In a split second I realized that it really was all over. The Red Death was gone almost as quickly as the battle started.

Carefully I stepped away from Snowfire to join the other Vikings gathered in a semi-circle. My eyes widened when I saw Toothless laying on the beach. He opened one eye and looked at me with what I thought was worry.

"Hiccup!" Stoick shoved aside the others after realizing it was all over. I hadn't noticed until now that Toothless' tail was ripped off during the fight. That would all have to be fixed along with several other things. With as much caution as I could muster I knelt down and gently rubbed Toothless' muzzle. "Oh son," Stoick murmured as the dragon crooned. "I did this," he added with a shake of his head.

I didn't even notice that my hands were covered in blood. That had probably happened during our little moment when we almost crashed. My legs were still shaky from what had happened.

"I'm so sorry." Toothless looked up to see that Stoick actually cared. His face was buried in his hands, and I didn't miss the fact that he was actually crying. Even I couldn't fight back the fit of tears that threatened to overwhelm me.

Finally Toothless lifted a wing to reveal a small boy that had been protected during their fall. My heart nearly skipped a beat when I realized that Toothless had done exactly what Snowfire did for me. He could have died in that crash. But instead he risked his life to keep Hiccup safe.

"He's alive!" Stoick exclaimed after making sure that Hiccup was still breathing. He smiled and placed his hand gently on Toothless' head. "Thank you, for saving my son," he added in a whisper.

"Well, most of him," Gobber pointed out. My face twisted in a grimace when I realized what he was talking about. Well, it looked like Hiccup would share something in common with Toothless.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: An early chapter update! And for those who are wondering, yes I will be continuing this story once I'm finished with the movie plot. I may or may not create a plot of my own once it's finished. Still debating on that :P<strong>

**silverwolvesarecool - Yep, she's finally here. But I never said that it's a Hicstrid story now did I? ;) And I did neglect to explain that, didn't I? Well, Snowfire kind of looks like Toothless. Only she's twice his size and has white scales that mix in with silvery gray. She also has icy blue eyes :) Hope that helps!**

**69759 - 10k isn't too bad. I don't think I'd be able to write that much, let alone read that much XD**


	11. Aftermath

**Chapter Eleven**

The village was celebrating after the Red Death was killed. No one took notice of the strange girl who suddenly appeared in the crowd. That was probably a good thing. Because that said girl had spent most of her time making sure that Hiccup got the proper care he deserved. She refused to leave his side even after the healers had left. All the while the kids had learned how to fly their dragons so they could show Hiccup how much they had learned.

I let out a sigh as I sat next to Toothless. The Night Fury was in worse shape than me. He hadn't eaten since Hiccup blacked out after that battle. His chin rested on my leg as I looked out the window. He really was a sweet dragon. His refusal to eat had something to do with the fact that Hiccup was hurt, and I couldn't help but admire his loyalty.

Speaking of Hiccup, he had lost a leg. Gobber managed to add a bit of 'Hiccup' flare to it by creating a metal prosthetic. I've seen them before in my own world, albeit they weren't made of metal. Some of the prosthetic legs and arms I've seen were pretty impressive. This one was no different.

"Hey bud, you think he'll wake up soon?" I asked while scratching Toothless' chin. Toothless made a soft crooning sound in response. He just wanted his rider back, and understandably so.

The only other person to spend so much time up here was Gobber. I'd gotten to know him pretty well since than. Gobber was actually very caring despite his appearance. He'd told me that Hiccup was his apprentice since he was a small boy. Well, smaller than he is now. Stoick had entrusted Hiccup under Gobber's watchful eye because he was afraid of the trouble Hiccup might get into.

Toothless suddenly jumped up onto one of the wooden beams as Hiccup stirred. He'd perked up almost instantly at the slightest motion. I could see the hope in Toothless' eyes as he looked down at his rider. It really was a touching sight.

But I knew at that point it was time to leave. The last thing I wanted was for Hiccup to know I'd been watching him. Truth be told I wasn't even sure what had led me to do such a thing. I felt responsible for what had happened, and guilt gnawed at my stomach. Maybe it was my fault he'd lost a leg. Maybe I was just another hiccup. And maybe it was time to leave the island before I made things worse.

Snowfire was already waiting for me outside when I got down. Thanks to a little help from Gobber, I managed to create a saddle I put on her back. Snowfire had been reluctant at first when I told her what I was up to. Eventually though I managed to convince her that I wouldn't be flying again unless she let me put it on.

'_You are not staying_,' she said in an accusing tone. Her expression told me everything. She thought I was making a mistake. The only mistake I'd made was staying as long as I had.

"Look, Snow, I don't belong here," I murmured so that only she could hear. A few people were already out and about. "If I stay than trouble is likely to follow." Snowfire nudged me gently as if to protest, but luckily she didn't argue.

'_These humans have changed for the better_,' she crooned. I nodded in agreement and climbed onto her back. '_Perhaps in time they would even come to accept you as one of their own_.' I forced back a groan at that statement. Snowfire had already taken off the moment I was secure in the saddle.

"Please don't make this any harder than it is," I replied with a roll of my eyes. Snowfire only hummed in amusement as we flew past the beach. I spotted Astrid and the Deadly Natter she'd named Stormfly flying nearby. She stopped in mid-flight and just hovered there until realizing what I was doing.

"Where are you going?" she demanded as she flew Stormfly closer. Snowfire let out a warning growl, causing the Deadly Natter to move with unease. Astrid held on tightly though, making sure that Stormfly didn't shake her off.

"I'm leaving," I explained without looking at her. I'd already seen the way she looked at Hiccup. It's obvious she has feelings for him, though she had a difficult time showing them. Maybe those two would get together eventually.

"I thought you and Hiccup were…." Astrid cut herself off and blushed as she realized what she was about to say.

"We aren't," I replied in an instant.

"But why spend so much time with him than?" she demanded, suddenly sounding angry. "I mean, you refused to leave his side all that time!" Stormfly made a crooning sound when she realized her rider was getting pissed off. I let out another sigh when I realized where this was headed.

"Look, I spent so much time with him because I was…. I felt responsible for what happened," I explained warily. Astrid looked at me in surprise, but I didn't stop there, "Hiccup was the only one who thought I wasn't crazy. And maybe at some point we were more than just friends. But he's the Chief's son, and I'm just some… random kid who was thrown into a world she knows nothing about."

Astrid was at a loss for words as I finished my rant. I can't believe I just opened up to her like that. But I couldn't stop myself, and now I was starting to regret what I said. Luckily Snowfire chose that moment to take off while Astrid was too stunned to move.

We continued flying for what felt like hours until Snowfire reached her island. I couldn't remember the last time I'd seen this place. To me this had become more home than my old world. The familiar trees and beaches made me wish that I had never left.

'_Speak your mind, hatchling_,' Snowfire suddenly told me. '_Holding in your frustration will only make things worse_.' I looked at her in surprise before sinking in to the saddle. Even if that were true there was no way I could shout my frustrations to her.

"I don't even know why I'm so angry," I muttered crossly. "She was just trying to help." I hadn't realized until now that I was crying again. All of that pent up rage and frustration had finally gotten to me. Finally I let it all out in a final scream before laying back down on the saddle.

Snowfire landed on our cliff and made a strange noise. I quickly climbed off the saddle and rested next to her, not realizing she had sighed in contentment.

'_You humans are strange creatures_,' she said thoughtfully. I was ready to defend myself when I thought better of it. Snowfire gently nudged my hand with her muzzle before I rubbed it affectionately. '_Perhaps you are feeling lost and confused_. _This world brought you here for a reason_.'

"Yeah? Well if that's the case than the world could suck it," I snapped. I sat down and leaned against her, not quite prepared for what happened next.

Spikes let out a cry of delight when he realized we were back. Snowfire hummed in amusement as he charged after me, nearly knocking me over in the process. The little dragon was quick to cover me in licks while I tried shooing him off. I had to laugh when I realized what he was doing.

"It's good to see you too bud," I giggled while rubbing his chin. Spikes crooned happily and curled up next to me. He acted so much like a cat. I couldn't help but laugh at that. Dragons were similar to cats and dogs. Even Toothless had his moments when I watched him.

'_You belong here_,' Snowfire suddenly pointed out. I looked at her in surprise before shaking my head doubtfully.

"Nope," I muttered. "I belong at home where mom is. I just… wish there was a way back."

'_Why are you so desperate to go back_?'

"Because I miss her." My voice had dropped to a whisper. To my horror I could barely remember what my own mother looked like. Had it really been that long since I last saw her? "I just want to go home."

'_Your home is here_.' I didn't miss the defiance in Snowfire's voice. I was ready to argue when I heard the familiar sound of a Night Fury. Snowfire got up just as Toothless landed nearby, crooning in excitement as he spotted us. Spikes was quick to climb on my shoulder at the sight of another rider.

Unfortunately for me Toothless chose that moment to charge after me. Spikes had to jump onto Snowfire's shoulders as Toothless tackled me to the ground. Snowfire let out an irritated growl just when Toothless had finally gotten off of me.

"He just wanted to say hi." I looked at Hiccup in surprise as Toothless scurried over to his side. Spikes jumped back down onto my shoulder once the threat was gone. He rubbed his head against my neck while I scratched his chin.

"I can see that," I replied. Guilt stabbed at my stomach once again when Toothless nudged Hiccup forward. He was leaning against Toothless for better support. But I could see that he was just getting used to the prosthetic leg. "I'm sorry, about what happened," I murmured.

"I know." Hiccup rubbed his arm as if embarrassed by what he'd say next. Truth be told I wasn't looking forward to this conversation. I had a feeling that something like this would happen back on Berk. That was part of the reason I chose to leave. "Astrid told me what you said to her," he suddenly added.

I couldn't hide the blush that followed even if I wanted to. "Remind me not to spill out everything I'm feeling to her," I grumbled crossly. Hiccup smirked at that. I'm sure Astrid's told him exactly how she feels about some crazy kid he led to the island.

"But are you really leaving?" he asked.

"Well, I don't really belong with your people," I replied with a shrug. "In fact I really don't belong in this world. I'm not even sure what to call home now." This island had provided me with enough food and shelter that I _could_ call it home.

'_Home is where the heart lies_,' Snowfire suddenly told me. I tried to ignore her as Hiccup looked at me in surprise.

"You're more than welcome to stay on Berk," he pointed out.

"Would I be?" I couldn't help but ask, remembering how some of the villagers had reacted to my appearance. Most of them had ignored me and made a point to avoid me. But I had seen the way others just glared at me for even being there. I knew there were people who would never accept me.

'_Oh just go with him already_!' Snowfire shouted in frustration. I barely had time to react when she suddenly shoved me forward, so that I was only inches away from Hiccup. Spikes quickly climbed off of my shoulder so that he wouldn't be caught in the crossfire.

"You'd fit in perfectly," Hiccup reassured me. "You have just as much a right to stay as Toothless and the other dragons." Toothless made a crooning noise as if to agree with him.

I looked at him doubtfully before realizing that he was probably right. Snowfire nudged my arm gently when I had nothing left to say.

"I guess I could stay," I murmured thoughtfully. "Only for a short while though." I rubbed Snowfire's chin as I gave it more thought. I knew the longer I stayed the harder it would be to leave. Maybe that was what they were both hoping for.

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><p><strong>AN: I couldn't resist adding this bit :P And yes, she will be staying on Berk. Temporarily of course. I have big plans for the future chapters, but they're still in the planning stage. Also, has anyone heard Hozier's In A Week song? If not than you should check it out; it's really a pretty song :)<strong>

**Mimzy94 - Thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying it so far :)**

**silverwolvesarecool - I know :( I always feel bad for him too. And hopefully this chapter was just as good ^^**

**Alexa Twilight - Thank you for reviewing! As for Hiccup and Astrid getting together, I'm not sure. I'm kind of leaning towards an OC pairing, if you get my drift ;)**

**kimmay94 - I was actually thinking of adding like a couple of episodes before leaning towards my own storyline. Thanks for the suggestion, and for reviewing! Very much appreciated!**


	12. A New Life

**Chapter Twelve**

'_What are you doing_?' Snowfire was at my side as I looked through my stuff. Or what was left of it. Most of the things in my sleeping bag had been taken away by dragons. Or I was hoping that was the case. But a few things had stayed, such as my iPod (which miraculously still had a full battery) and my journal. I was more surprised to see some clothing I had taken with me just in case.

"How is it that my iPod has a full charge?" I asked after checking to see if it was okay. Amazingly it hadn't been damaged at all. In fact I noticed that it had downloaded a few new songs, despite the fact that there was no Wi-Fi these days.

'_Perhaps it is made of magic_,' Snowfire suggested for me. I had to laugh at that as I sifted through old pictures. Some were pictures of my house and school. I was lucky enough to have a few pictures of my mom and I together. Last and certainly not least were pictures of my friends.

"I miss them," I couldn't help but murmur. Snowfire crooned softly and nudged my arm. "They probably moved on already." It's what people did when they lost someone they cared about. Or at least they tried to move on. I wished I knew what my mom was up to.

'_Then they are obviously not your friends_.' I looked at Snowfire in disbelief. How could anyone say that? I looked down at the pictures one last time. Somehow this iPod was connected with me coming to this world. It was a bit of a random thought given the circumstances, but I couldn't think of anything else at the moment.

My hands clenched around the iPod before I made a risky decision. Snowfire eyed the device curiously as I suddenly tossed it into the ocean. She looked at me in surprise when it made a loud clunking noise shortly after.

'_Why would you do that_?' she asked.

"Because I don't need it," I replied. "I only just realized how lucky I am to be here." A smile played across my lips as Snowfire hummed in amusement.

'_You are such a strange hatchling_,' she crooned. I was about to argue when an image played across my mind. My heart nearly skipped a beat as I saw my mom standing in what used to be my kitchen. She was sitting at the table, with her face buried in her hands. I didn't miss the fact that our kitchen was a mess, with pots and pans piled in the sink and the table covered in a thin layer of dust. '_Alex_.' Mom looked in my direction and whispered the words.

I just stood there in shock and stared at her. My mind couldn't comprehend what was happening. Mom's face was stained with dried tears. I'd never seen her in such a state. Even when dad left us she didn't look this bad. But seeing her now made me wonder if I had made a mistake. Finally Snowfire nudged me to make sure that I was alright.

"I'm fine," I murmured halfheartedly. I was still staring off at the ocean, unable to pick apart what I saw. Was that supposed to be this world's idea of a joke? If so than it was the worst idea they've ever thrown at me. Seeing my mom again only made me realize how far apart we were now.

'_Of course you are_,' Snowfire said in an accusing tone. '_You should go back to the village_, _they will be searching for you_.' I let out a sigh when I realized that she was right. Hiccup's dad had been kind enough to let me gather what was left of my things. Now it was time to head back.

I grabbed my journal and sleeping bag before letting Spikes climb on to my shoulder. He didn't really belong to anyone, but he did enjoy being with people. Snowfire made another crooning noise before taking off. She was quick to return to Berk before the sun went down.

Snowfire made landfall in a matter of seconds. Like Stormfly and Toothless she was built for speed. But she also had the strength of a Monstrous Nightmare like Hookfang. It always amazed me that she had never been caught before by any human. Or the fact that she had chosen me as her rider.

"Alex, glad to see you're back." I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as Snotlout flew close to me, trying to keep Hookfang steady. The Monstrous Nightmare was still giving him trouble even though he'd been riding for a week now.

"Still having trouble with Hookfang are we?" I couldn't resist asking. Snotlout only scowled and pulled Hookfang aside, causing the Monstrous Nightmare to roar in protest. Clearly Hookfang had other thoughts in mind.

"He's just being stubborn, like me!" Snotlout replied with a grin. Hookfang rolled his eyes and suddenly ducked, sending Snotlout flying into the ground. I had to laugh at the sight. Hookfang landed clumsily nearby, growling at his rider as Snotlout jumped to his feet. "Hey you big fiery lizard, what's your problem?" he demanded.

'_Foolish hatchling_,' Snowfire chided after stepping between them. Hookfang stopped his approach when Snowfire locked eyes with him. All the while Snowfire was making a deep rumbling noise in her chest that reminded me of laughter. '_Learn your place_,' she snapped when Hookfang roared in defiance.

"Hey, take it easy you two," I muttered after getting off. Hookfang only growled in response before lowering his head. Snotlout's jaw dropped in amazement when Hookfang brushed my hand with his muzzle. "There's a good dragon. Best thing to do is stay calm when they get like this," I explained as Snotlout stood up.

"Heh, I can see why Hiccup keeps you around," he said. To which I glared and folded my arms. And I could see why Astrid punches this guy so often.

Snowfire followed me over to what would be my new house. I'd been working on it for the last few days, with some help of course. Thankfully Stoick had offered to help build a small hut for a house after much arguing with both him and Hiccup. It was bad enough I'd moved in, the last thing I needed was the entire village building the biggest house they could think of.

_It's not like I'll be staying that long anyways_, I reminded myself. I'd already promised myself that I wouldn't stay for too long. There was still so much to see and so little time. With Snowfire I could do that all and more.

"Thanks again for the help," I said when the last of the roof was put on. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. The hut was closer to Hiccup's house, but far enough away that I could get the privacy I needed.

"You coulda had a bigger house," Gobber replied with a smirk. "But e'ryone has their taste."

"Right." Snowfire let out a crooning sound as Gobber led us inside.

"It isn't much, but it's better than nothing," he explained. "Just your typical bed and perch for good ol' Snowfire." He patted Snowfire on the shoulder as she sniffed him warily. For some reason Snowfire wasn't afraid of him.

"You didn't have to do all of this." I was amazed by the detail in the woodwork. Little images of birds and leaves could be made out in the bed frame. And on Snowfire's perch she had a snowflake carved in the center.

"Actually that was all Hiccup's idea," Gobber replied. "He thought you might like the carvings."

Gobber said his goodbyes and left me to settle in. I couldn't believe Hiccup had done this. I never even thought he had such artistic skills. True I had seen his drawings but that was about it. Snowfire jumped onto the perch almost immediately once she was sure it was safe. I glanced up to see that Spikes had already climbed through the nearest window as well.

'_This is home_,' Snowfire sighed in contentment. I wasted no time in falling on the bed, trying to relax as much as I could. That vision of my mom had left me feeling uneasy all morning. Now I just wanted to forget it all.

"Yeah, I could live here for a while," I sighed in relief. "Any chances we might actually make a difference here?" I rolled over so that I was staring at the perch. The house was tall enough that the perch didn't make too much of an impact. Snowfire's head barely touched the roof. And the window was big enough for a dragon her size to get through.

'_If these humans are smart, they will listen_,' she replied. '_Dragons will make a difference in their lives, whether they want it or not_.'

I nodded in agreement. Snowfire was right about that. Dragons had already made a difference in my life. Before this whole mess had started I would have never even thought of flying on a plane. But Snowfire had changed that all. She trusted me with her life, and I trusted her with mine.

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><p><strong>AN: This chapter could have been added to the last one, but I wanted to cut it off for some reason. And that's why it is so much shorter. I also wanted to thank everyone for favoriting and reviewing, you guys are amazing :) And don't worry, this story is far from over. I'm planning on making this a long story if it can be helped.<strong>

**Mimzy94 - Don't worry, I do plan on writing for the second movie :) I'm definitely looking forward to it!**

**silverwolvesarecool - Me too. I can't imagine my life without my family. And thanks! :D**

**69579 - Hehe, it's okay. Good luck writing your chapter, writer's block is a pain in the butt. I've been trying to write the next chapters for my other two stories, but nothing comes up :(**


	13. First Island Patrol

**Chapter Thirteen**

Hiccup spent the next few days teaching me his language. I was amazed at how patient he was compared to everyone else on the island. We would spend the first few hours of the morning in the Great Hall going over nouns and phrases. And surprisingly it wasn't that difficult of a language to learn. I hated to admit that Norse was a lot easier to learn than English. Learning to speak the language was the easy part, learning how to read it though, that was probably my toughest goal yet.

"You know most kids my age would be trying to figure out what they'll be doing in the future," I muttered as I tried writing my name in Norse. The words looked like scribble to me. Luckily Hiccup just smirked before helping me out.

"So I take it you're not fond of learning?" he asked with a sheepish grin. All I could do was nod in response. I hated school when I attended. Only reason I stuck around as long as I did was because mom had forced me to. Staying here was just another reminder of how far apart we really were.

"I guess I shouldn't be complaining too much," I sighed and leaned against the back of my seat. "My favorite subject was history, and science. For some reason I aced them both, but when it comes to math…." I stopped when I realized Hiccup had no idea what I was talking about. His expression was almost laughable as he looked at me in confusion.

"Well if it makes you feel any better," he began after shaking his head, "I wouldn't have done so well in dragon training had it not been for Toothless." As if on cue the Night Fury approached us, almost knocking Hiccup off his chair in the process. We both laughed when Toothless had Hiccup pinned underneath his chin. "Really Toothless?"

Thank goodness Snowfire never did that. She had her own way of showing how affectionate she was. Every night before going to bed I would hum the hymn my mom used to sing when I was little. And Snowfire would croon in contentment on her perch. It was kind of strange, but in her own way Snowfire had learned what '_Be Still My Soul_' meant. It was still one of my favorites.

"We should probably check on the others," I murmured thoughtfully. Before I lose my mind over this. I didn't want to say it out loud, but learning his language was kicking me in the ass. Hiccup's patience wouldn't last forever either, and I knew it.

Patrolling the island was always more fun with a group. Especially those group of kids. Ruffnut and Tuffnut could be irritating at times, but they always seemed to add humor to the group. Fishlegs with his knowledge of dragons was helpful at times. Snotlout was… well Snotlout. I had to admit that even I was getting annoyed with his attitude. I could see why Astrid hated being around him so long.

Speaking of Astrid, the two of us had started to get along in the past few days. True we still had our moments where I just needed to get away, and she would be ready to kill me. But I felt like that's how everyone was when they first met. Besides, it was obvious to see that Astrid had feelings for Hiccup.

I couldn't help but wonder if she was jealous with the fact that we spent so much time together. Truth be told Hiccup was really the only real friend I had, other than Snowfire and Toothless. I had a feeling that the others only got along with me because I was friends with him.

"… best part is with Snowfire she could translate what the dragons are saying!" Fishleg's exclamation caught my attention. The group was already waiting for us, with Snowfire trailing behind them. Her eyes were narrowed in annoyance as Fishlegs hid behind Meatlug. "I'm just saying, it would make life on Berk a whole lot easier!"

'_Continue talking like a sparrow, and see where it gets you_,' Snowfire growled.

"Ooh, is there gonna be a fight?" Ruffnut suddenly asked.

"I hope so, this is getting boring," Tuffnut muttered.

"Guys, can you think of anything other than fighting?" I asked after stepping between Snowfire and Fishlegs. Snowfire was always trying to pick a fight with the other riders. Though she had agreed to stay with me that didn't mean she would get along with the other humans. Hiccup and Astrid were the only other humans she trusted other than me.

"Ah come on, it was just getting exciting!" Snotlout groaned. Astrid rolled her eyes and punched him in the arm. Snotlout was ready to snap something when Hiccup stopped them.

"Can we please just go one day without fighting?" All five of them looked at the both of us like we had grown wings. We might as well have for all the arguing they kept doing. Astrid was the only one who had enough sense to keep her mouth shut.

"Can I patrol with Alex?" Snotlout suddenly piped up. I held back a groan of annoyance. Snowfire had snorted in amusement before returning to my side. Even she got annoyed with him after a few minutes of listening to his 'stories'.

'_I would rather bite your head off_,' Snowfire snapped. Her words were directed at Snotlout, but he didn't seem to hear her. Or she chose not to let him hear her. I was still not quite sure how that all worked. Snowfire was able to make others hear her thoughts, but only if she wanted them to.

"Right, we're splitting off in groups," Hiccup explained after rolling his eyes. "Snotlout, you're going with me." I tried not to laugh when Snotlout looked like he was ready to argue. I reminded myself to thank Hiccup later for his decision. "Ruffnut, Tuffnut, you go with Fishlegs. Astrid, you're with Alex."

"Just try and keep up," Astrid said after getting on Stormfly's back. Again I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Snowfire was built for speed. She could easily outpace Stormfly even on a windy day. Astrid had always been competitive according to Hiccup. I would just need to play along and hope for the best.

There really wasn't any rhyme or reason behind our patrolling. It was a good way for the dragons to stretch their wings, and it provided practice for the newer riders. Plus it was fun to see what Berk looked like from a dragon's point of view. I had to admit that the island was beautiful, despite the fact that half of it was covered in snow and ice.

Snowfire suddenly twisted and turned so that she was higher than Stormfly could go. I held on to the saddle for dear life, suddenly remembering that at this height falling would likely kill me. Snowfire hummed in amusement when she noticed my reaction.

'_Are you afraid, hatchling_?' she asked.

"Of course I am," I snapped. "You would be too if you were about to fall and die." Snowfire only crooned in amusement. I rolled my eyes when I realized that she was laughing. Leave it to dragons to have a sense of humor. Stormfly had finally caught up with us as Astrid tried desperately to keep up.

"I thought we were patrolling the island," she shouted over the roar of the wind. I followed Astrid's gaze and realized how far away we were from the island. Snowfire veered to the left, leaning so far that I had to make sure I didn't fall off from the side.

_Straighten out_! I desperately wanted to cry out. Oddly enough I couldn't speak. Thankfully Snowfire seemed to sense my unease and leveled out, using the currents to glide her back towards the island. Stormfly had easily kept up with our speed, making sure we didn't veer too far away.

"The island really is beautiful from this height," I murmured thoughtfully. Snowfire crooned in agreement as she flew forward. The island was covered in forest where the ice hadn't reached it. And towards the lower end of the island lay Berk. The village had cleared out most of the trees in that area, but there were a few that had survived.

"Yeah, being on a dragon gives you a whole new perspective." I looked at Astrid in surprise as Stormfly hovered next to me. "I never really appreciated being on the island until now. Thanks to Stormfly the world's just gotten bigger."

'_She speaks the truth_,' Snowfire stated. I couldn't help but nod in agreement. Before I met Snowfire I was terrified of what lay ahead of me. Heck, I'd still be wandering around the forest had she not rescued me. Then again Hiccup might have found me sooner had I stayed with Toothless that night.

...

They'd been flying around the island for almost an hour now. Toothless was content with this, but Hiccup had gotten tired of listening to Snotlout boast about himself. The taller Viking had a tendancy to brag about how great he was at… well, pretty much everything.

"And than Hookfang managed to fly higher than I thought possible!" he exclaimed rather loudly. "So, you've been spending a lot of time with Alex," Snotlout suddenly said. Hiccup nearly did a double-take when Snotlout said that.

"Yeah, and?" he asked a little too quickly. It was true he had been spending a lot of time with her. Truth be told he wasn't sure what to make of the girl. She had spared Toothless his life, and had managed to tame a White Terror. Not too many people could boast about that.

"I saw her first," Snotlout replied while pointing a finger at his chest. "Besides, you have no chance with her." Snotlout's grin was enough to make Hiccup wish Toothless would throw him off of Hookfang. Even if he did have feelings for her he doubted she would enjoy Snotlout's company. From a distance he could see how annoyed she was with Snotlout.

"What makes you think she'd be interested in you?" he demanded without thinking. Snotlout looked at Hiccup in disbelief. Than he started laughing his head off. Toothless made a crooning sound of annoyance when Snotlout finally stopped.

"Right, everyone's interested in me," he said while wiping away a tear. Hookfang grumbled in annoyance before suddenly barreling towards the ground. Snotlout let out a cry of surprise when Hookfang narrowly missed colliding with the island. "What is wrong with you you stupid lizard?" he demanded as Hookfang soared higher on an updraft.

"Some things never change," Hiccup muttered with a roll of his eyes.

...

We'd been flying for little over an hour when Astrid decided to land at our meeting place. It was just outside the center of the village, and hidden enough that we wouldn't be spotted so easily. Snowfire landed with ease right next to Stormfly, who was biting at her wing just as Astrid climbed off.

"So, looks like things are finally peaceful," Astrid sighed once I managed to get off of Snowfire. With some help of course. It was still difficult getting on and off of her. Usually Snowfire would crouch down to make it easier to climb on.

"What do you mean?" I asked warily. Hiccup had told me about the dragon raids Berk was under for so many centuries. But taking care of the Red Death had to have stopped those raids. Now Berk had normal things to worry about, such as outside invaders or random dragon attacks.

"Well, there hasn't been a dragon raid in the last two weeks now," she explained after giving me an odd look. I made a small sound of agreement after realizing that she was right. In all honesty I hadn't lived here long enough to know what that was like. "It was a mess during the dragon raids," she suddenly went on. "We'd always have some building that needed to be fixed."

I tried not to smirk as I remembered the first time we went near this island. It was surprising the moment I saw those buildings. All of the roofs had been replaced with new ones, and some walls looked like they'd just been built.

Vikings must have a lot of patience if they were willing to rebuild their homes. I know a few people from my world who could never do such a thing.

"Do you like Hiccup?" Astrid's question caught me completely off guard. She was staring at me intently now, Stormfly at her side. Snowfire looked at us curiously as she waited for my answer. All I could do was just gape at her until I closed my mouth.

"Uh…. I'm not exactly sure what you… mean by that," I admitted while rubbing my arm up and down. God this was embarrassing. Astrid's smirk told me she was hoping for that kind of answer. But why go to all of this trouble if she knew what I would say?

"I mean, do you like him like him?" she asked warily. I didn't miss the look in her eyes. She was hoping I would say no. But truth be told I wasn't sure how to answer that question. Sure Hiccup was a great guy compared to the other kids I'd met here.

I let out a sigh and kicked the ground under my foot. This wasn't a question I should be answering. Astrid had me trapped and there was only one way out, and she knew it.

"I don't know," I finally admitted with a shrug. "I mean, he's the first person I met in this world other than Snowfire and Toothless." Astrid looked at me in confusion until I explained my whole situation. Her expression changed from confusion to that of a, 'you must be crazy' look. "He was also the first person not to think I'm crazy." I added the last part with a smirk when Astrid realized too late what I'd noticed.

"I wasn't saying you were crazy," she murmured. The reluctance in her voice told me everything I needed to know. She did think I was crazy. And maybe that wasn't a bad thing. Obviously there were people who would never believe my story. "It's just that…. For as long as I knew Hiccup, I always thought he wouldn't amount to anything," she suddenly said. It was my turn to look at her in surprise, but she didn't stop there, "And now…."

"Now all of a sudden you have feelings for him," I suggested. Astrid looked away and nodded in agreement.

Sudden anger washed over me at that revelation. She wouldn't have developed feelings for him had nothing changed. I've watched too many movies to know the terrible truth. Suddenly the big town screw-up would become the hero, and every girl around him would fall in love.

"I know it sounds selfish, but I really do care about him," she sighed.

I was ready to say something when the others joined us. Astrid's expression hardened once she realized we weren't alone.

'_Perhaps the hatchling has a point_,' Snowfire told me.

I forced back a groan when I realized that she wasn't going to let this go. It was obvious that Astrid had trouble showing her feelings to Hiccup. And it was even more obvious that Hiccup had feelings for Astrid. I wasn't going to get in the way of their love. Not now, not ever.

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><p><strong>AN: So there was some Hiccstrid moments there. Not really anything major, but I couldn't resist ;) But no, this will be a HiccupxOC pairing. It may take a while for that to spring up, but I think you get my drift :)<strong>

**silverwolvesarecool - Hehe, I see what you did there ;) She is pretty awesome though. A lot like Sapphira if you ask me :P But in a good way. And yep, that will play in the future plot of this story. Which I am planning on working on; just have to get through the first few episodes of Riders of Berk first.**

**69579 - Don't give yourself a concussion! Hey, that would actually be a good name for a dragon :P I might have to use that! And I know the feeling. Still having issues with the chapters on my Avengers' FF. Hate it when that happens :(**


	14. How To Turn Someone Down

**Chapter Fourteen**

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><p>"<em>I heard the roar of the lion of Judah, I heard the voice that calms the raging sea He came to me, came to me, When I needed the Lord I heard the roar of the lion of Judah...<em>" The Roar, Chris Tomlin

* * *

><p>A blanket of darkness wrapped itself around me. I tried to get some comfort from the fact that I was under a roof with good shelter. But I couldn't shake off the fact that something was off. Spikes was curled up next to me, but he kept fidgeting in his sleep. A nightmare, most likely.<p>

Snowfire was sleeping on a stone tablet she along with the help of Toothless had dragged in. During the night when she was ready to sleep she would breath fire on the tablet and curl up. Hiccup had explained to me that Night Fury's were known to do the same thing. Given the fact that Snowfire was similar to Night Fury's, I shouldn't be so surprised by her behavior.

Finally I stood up, causing Spikes to wake up seconds later. I hated sleeping alone. Not in the way where someone would sleep in the bed beside me. But it felt wrong that mom wasn't around to check on me, or make sure I got up in time for school. It was strange considering I had been sleeping alone for the last few weeks.

With a sigh of frustration I changed into my clothes and opened the door slightly. Spikes was quick to follow as I peered outside. To my surprise it was still dark as night out. The only source of light were the stars and moon. I looked at Spikes one last time before leaving the hut, careful not to alert anyone. The last thing I wanted was to be responsible for waking everyone up.

Spikes jumped on to my shoulder as I made my way towards the forest. Going out so late probably wasn't my smartest move. I was hoping a walk would help calm my nerves.

"So, how long do you think it's going to take for them to realize I'm gone?" I wondered out loud to no one in particular. Spikes just looked at me with those wide eyes, than suddenly hopped forward through the undergrowth. I tried not to smirk at the sight as I walked towards the nearest cliff.

It was good to be out here. Despite the cold air I felt freer than ever. The sound of the ocean crashing against the cliff was soothing. And watching the moon reflect against the water's surface was even more so. Spikes lay beside me as I sat down with my legs dangling over the cliff.

This was one of those moments I wished mom could be with me. She would know what to do in situations like these. My heart was torn between whether or not I would stay. I had no reason to, other than the fact that Hiccup was my only friend. He had Astrid to keep him company now.

'_You were not in your nest_,' a new voice suddenly spoke up, causing me to nearly jump off the cliff. Fortunately I was able to catch myself in time to see Snowfire sitting next to me. '_Something troubles you, hatchling_,' she crooned softly.

"I don't know what to do," I admitted. I looked off in the distance as wariness settled over my shoulders. All my life I didn't need to know what I would do next. Mom always had something planned for me. Now it was like the world was suddenly thrown at me in full force.

'_Perhaps leaving would be best_,' Snowfire said thoughtfully. '_You do not fit in with these people_. _There may be other islands out there_.' I couldn't help but look at her doubtfully. Would anyone ever take me in if I found another island? I wasn't sure if that was a good idea either.

"Leaving wouldn't be a bad thing," I sighed while tossing a pebble into the ocean. "Actually it would be fun to explore the other islands and see what's out there. Maybe we'd find more dragons like you or Toothless!" Sudden hope flared within me until Snowfire snorted in amusement.

'_There are no other dragons like me_,' she chided. She brushed her tail over my hair playfully. I had a feeling that she was right. But that didn't mean I couldn't hope. Besides, it wasn't any fun knowing that you were the last of your kind.

I held back another sigh and stood up, leaning against Snowfire for support. "Let's go back," I murmured. Snowfire looked at me in surprise before I continued, "I'll make up my mind tomorrow." Snowfire only rolled her eyes and let out a puff of smoke, covering my face with it.

'_You humans are so queer_,' Snowfire huffed. I only rolled my eyes and headed back to the village. Spikes climbed back on to my shoulder, thankful to have a ride. '_One moment you are upset, and the next you want to return to the village_.'

Much as I hated to admit it, she did have a good point. My mind was always changing at the last minute. And sooner or later my mind would change again. I just hoped I made the right decision when that time came.

...

Morning had arrived all too quickly. I was still half asleep when I heard a knocking on my door. Snowfire had barely stirred from her nest when I got out of the bed. Spikes jumped off and clawed at the door as another knock followed.

"Calm down already," I grumbled crossly. I was not the kindest person when it came to not getting enough sleep. Mom had learned that the hard way when she woke me up too early. My eyes widened in disbelief when I saw Snotlout standing at the door. He was rubbing the back of his hair sheepishly as he looked at me with his mouth hanging open. "Uh, what?" I eyed him with the slightest hint of annoyance.

"Hey Alex, I was kind of hoping that we could maybe hang out today," he explained without missing a beat. "You know, just the two of us." All that kept me from falling over was the fact that he was waiting for an answer. Snotlout just looked at me hopefully, and I suddenly wished a hole would open up to swallow me.

"Snotlout," I began with a sigh. This was not going to be easy. The last thing I wanted was to hurt his feelings. But there was no way in hell I could ever be interested in someone like him. "You're a nice guy and all, but…." I paused as I tried looking for an excuse. Luckily for me Hiccup happened to be walking past at that time, glancing at us in confusion. "I promised Hiccup I would help him with a few projects today," I suddenly announced.

Snotlout was ready to say something when I pushed past him. God I hoped this didn't backfire on me. Hiccup's expression was priceless as I pulled him away by the arm, hoping to avoid any accusing questions from Snotlout.

"Do I even want to know what's going on?" he asked when we were far enough away.

"Ugh, Snotlout happened," I muttered under my breath. "How do you tell someone 'no' without hurting their feelings?" Guilt stabbed at my heart when I realized that Snotlout was still standing there at my door. He wasted no time in fleeing though when Snowfire woke up, alerted by the noise.

"That's not exactly my area of expertise." I couldn't help but blush when Hiccup said that. Guess we had a lot in common than. Never once had a boyfriend or even feelings for another guy for that matter. So I guess I was asking the wrong person for that kind of advice.

"Sorry, I'm just not used to having anyone well… interested in me," I admitted. We were already headed for the forge as the day went on. Snowfire had decided to stretch her wings while the two of us talked. I wasn't even sure where Toothless was hiding. "Usually guys don't even know I exist until they sit on me."

I tried not to laugh at one memory of a day in school. I'd been sitting alone at lunch at the time. And of course some random high school jock had to waltz in with his group of friends and nearly sat on me. It wasn't until I spilled my drink all over that he realized I was there. The look on his face at the time had been priceless.

"Really?" Hiccup looked at me in surprise as we reached the forge. Gobber greeted us both with a wave of his free hand while working on a sword that needed repair. "I can't imagine why." Hiccup stopped himself short when he realized what he just said. I only smirked and folded my arms in amusement. "I mean…." He paused and sorted through what looked like a pile of blueprints stacked on a desk.

"Oh just ge' on with it and tell 'er how ya feel!" Gobber shouted over his shoulder. It's a good thing I was leaning on the railing. Gobber didn't notice the fact that I nearly fell over, again.

I glanced over at the blueprints and realized just how detailed they were. Some blueprints were of saddles that Hiccup had been working on over the last few days. Others were of weapons that would make fighting easier. One weapon in particular caught my attention though.

"So this is what you've been working on." I eyed the blueprints curiously as Hiccup put aside one set of blueprints and spread it out across the desk.

"The dragons need a place to rest when they're visiting the island, or if they plan on staying," he explained. "Dad's going to take some convincing but it would be great if we could build stables for them. They need some kind of shelter."

"That would be nice," I murmured. I heard Snowfire complaining about how some of the passing dragons just slept where ever they felt like. Stables would also mean bringing in more dragons for the island. Hopefully Berk was ready for such a task.

We spent the rest of the morning discussing how we could convince Stoick about the stables idea. I'm pretty sure he'd go along with them, so long as it was within reason. But convincing the rest of the village was another issue in itself. There were some who still weren't fond of dragons being here in the first place. And one of those people happened to be a grumpy old man living at the top of a hill.

"Let's just hope Stoick's in a listenin' mood," Gobber reminded us. "You two are askin' for trouble if you keep this up." He smirked as I backed away warily. Seemed like Astrid wasn't the only one who noticed how much time we were spending together.

We didn't spend too much time in the forge after that. Hiccup had gathered most of his blueprints and was already headed to the Great Hall. There was something in his determination that made me wish I had. Back in my own world I would never have that amount of determination.

I shook my head at the thought, realizing that right now it wasn't relevant. At least here I felt like I could amount to something. Even if it wasn't a lot it was better than nothing.

'_That human is quite the irritating hatchling_.' Snowfire's words stopped us both in our tracks. The other Vikings had made a point to avoid her as she rubbed her muzzle against my hand. '_He will not stop mumbling under his breath_.'

"Which one?" Hiccup asked with a smirk. "We have so many." I smirked and rolled my eyes at that.

"I'm assuming she means Snotlout," I sighed.

'_Of course that is who I mean_,' she retorted with a snort. '_How has he survived all of these years_?'

I looked over her shoulder to see that he was still pacing around my place. All the while grumbling under his breath and scowling.

"I really do feel bad for just leaving him like that," I murmured. But I couldn't bring myself to even like someone like him. I hated sounding like a judgmental jerk, but he really was loud and obnoxious.

"I'm sure he'll get over it." We started heading for the Great Hall just as Toothless had joined us. He was crooning in contentment as Snowfire walked beside him, looking more annoyed than anything else. "It wouldn't be the first time someone turned him down."

That was enough to make me grin. When in doubt always feel reassured that you aren't the only one turning him down. At least that was what I hoped for. Hopefully this wouldn't come back and bite me in the butt later on.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So I decided to treat you guys with a double update :) And that little song up there is such a good one. Love Chris Tomlin... so yeah. After these last two chapters I will start following the episodes, seeing as the chapters had been kind of random and boring for the moment.<strong>

**silverwolvesarecool - I wouldn't say that ;) Sapphira hasn't threatened to bite off people's heads or rip their throats out. Snowfire definitely has a bit of an attitude problem compared to Sapphire :P**

**69579 - To each their own :) Hopefully all of your walls will remain intact after this is over. And that would be awesome, that's kind of what Snowfire looks like. Only she is twice the size of Toothless and white.**

**FallenArcAngel16 - You're not the only one ;) I've seen way too many Hiccstrid stories in the fandom... I was actually going to pair Alex with someone else until I realized she and Astrid are like complete opposites.**


	15. Part 2: I Have A Plan

**Chapter Fifteen**

It didn't take me long to learn the Norse language. Hiccup had taught me everything he knew, with some help from Gobber and Stoick. I'd even learned how to write the language and read it in books. Which led to reading the Book of Dragons when I had the chance. The book had a lot of detail in it that I only just started memorizing.

I'd been living on the island now for little more than a year. Life had been great thanks to Snowfire's help. Hiccup had helped too by spending as much time with us as possible. Fortunately Snotlout had stopped asking me out on dates. I still felt guilty for turning him down, but at least I didn't have the embarrassment of telling him no.

By now the island had gotten used to having dragons around. Well, I should say mostly used to. A few people still had trouble getting along with them. There were several incidents where Hiccup had to intervene and make sure the dragons didn't make things worse.

Right now we were all on a cliff trying to decide who had the best tricks. Everyone had gotten used to flying. Stormfly and Astrid got along well, Meatlug was treated like a queen thanks to Fishlegs. Hookfang was… well Hookfang. He and Snotlout still argued a lot. And the twins were still struggling to get along with Belch and Barf, the two-headed Zippleback.

"Okay guys, best trick competition," Hiccup began before looking at everyone else. "Who's up first?"

'_None of these hatchlings can compare to my tricks_,' Snowfire crooned. I smirked and rubbed her neck as the others glared in response. Snowfire only allowed them to hear her voice when she wanted. She had told me that she only shared her thoughts to those she trusted. And these kids she trusted very little. Hiccup was the only other Viking who was able to hear her thoughts, other than me.

"Me!" Snotlout exclaimed after Hookfang stood up. The Nightmare rolled his eyes as Snotlout got ready to take off.

"Actually," Fishlegs started, "I was hoping—"

"Me!" Snotlout insisted, cutting Fishlegs off.

"Sweet baby Thor of thunderstorm," Astrid said with a groan, "Go!"

"Oh don't worry, we'll go," Snotlout boasted. He grabbed Hookfang by the horns and turned him towards the edge of the cliff. "And when we go, we're gonna light the sky on – Fire!" he yelled when Hookfang flew down the cliff and started falling.

While Snotlout screamed in horror, Hookfang had already flown through several different sea stacks and in one of them, Snotlout's helmet almost caught on fire. The spark caused by the rocks was enough to leave it smoking.

Hookfang looked at Snotlout in amusement before twirling in the sky, than he dove into the water. Eventually Hookfang landed back safely on the cliff, still soaking as he shook off the water. Snotlout was groaning until he realized they had landed.

"I'm alive?" he asked in disbelief. "I'm alive!" He cheered until noticing the look we were giving him. "I mean, of course I am," he quickly corrected himself. I tried not to laugh as he looked down in embarrassment. Snotlout's pride often got the better of him.

"My turn," Fishlegs said excitedly. "Ready Meatlug? Here we go!" Meatlug's wings had started flapping, making a strange buzzing noise in the process. Snowfire rolled her eyes as Meatlug started flying in circles before landing seconds later. "Yes! New personal best."

Fishlegs leaned forward to hug her. In response Meatlug drew her long tongue and licked his face. Those two had such a strange relationship. But at least they got along. That was more than I could say for Snotlout and Hookfang.

"My turn!" Ruffnut shouted.

"No, it's my turn!" Tuffnut argued.

"Uh, guys, same dragon," I reminded them.

"Oh, right," Tuffnut said as he bumped fists with his sister. Barf and Belch flew off the cliff seconds later, sending a strong wind in our direction. "Go left!" Tuffnut ordered while pulling Belch's head towards the left.

"No, right!" Ruffnut complained as she turned Barf's head to the right.

"No left!"

"No right!"

'_Those two are more irritating than a pack of Terrible Terrors_,' Snowfire complained. The others nodded in agreement as Barf and Belch flew towards another sea stack. The Zippleback suddenly started spinning out of control as the twins continued arguing. Suddenly Barf and Belch threw back their heads, sending the twins flying upwards.

"Oh no!" Tuffnut cried as they started to fall back down. "This is awesome and scary!"

Barf and Belch grabbed the pair before they could fall into the ocean. I'm sure that at this temperature, they would've frozen in seconds. "We almost died!" Ruffnut gasped once their dragon made a rough landing.

"Yeah I know," Tuffnut agreed. "Go again?" I shifted in my seat as the pair got ready to take off again.

"Let's see what Snowfire and I have been working on first," I suggested. Snowfire hummed in amusement as she jumped off the cliff in a spinning motion. All I could do was hold on for dear life until she finally leveled out.

Her wings had barely touched the water, turning it into a sheet of ice where ever she flew. Once she started climbing higher I suddenly jumped off, remember the move we'd been working on. With our way of communication, Snowfire was able to predict what I was about to do before it happened.

Everyone watched in awe as Snowfire suddenly created a flurry of snowflakes around her. She was the only dragon of her kind who could control the temperature and weather around her. It all depended on the type of mood she was in.

Finally Snowfire rolled in a position so that she was underneath me, just before hitting the ocean once more. Snowfire flew higher in the sky until she made a safe landing on the cliff next to Toothless. By now the snow had stopped falling, creating an almost peaceful scene in front of us.

"Now that's what I call dragon riding," I said in a whisper. I couldn't help but admire how much I'd changed. A year ago I wouldn't have even thought of doing that. Now here I was showing off what we had learned over the past few months.

'_You have grown, hatchling_,' Snowfire crooned as I rubbed her neck.

"Huh, not bad," Astrid said. "I mean for a beginner that is," she quickly added as I rolled my eyes. She than turned over to Hiccup as he was ready to say something. "You might wanna take notes. Let's go!" She smirked before Stormfly took off.

"I wouldn't take it personally," Hiccup told me. "She's always been competitive." I only nodded in agreement. Just a week ago she had been pissed because Snowfire was faster than Stormfly. The only reason she had forgotten about it was because of this competition.

Stormfly was doing tricks with her tail and wings. It was difficult to see from a distance but I noticed that they had gotten faster. Astrid managed to hold on as Stormfly twisted in midair before throwing her spikes towards the cliff. Finally Stormfly landed on the cliff after twisting around once more, dragging her tail along the ground in the process.

"Alright Stormfly!" she cheered.

"But can you do that without the dragon?" Snotlout asked. Astrid responded by punching him in the arm, hard. I had to laugh at his expression as he rubbed his arm at the sudden pain.

"Looks like we got our work cut out for us, eh bud?" Hiccup patted Toothless on the head.

Toothless took off and flew high in the sky before flipping upside down and falling towards the water. Just as they were about to hit the water, Hiccup pulled Toothless upwards and flew straight. Water sprayed behind them as they flew towards the sea stacks. Once they had passed several sea stacks, Hiccup disconnected himself from the harness and jumped on top of a natural arch rock formation. My eyes widened in amazement as he ran across the path. Once he reached the edge Toothless had also reached the other side, so that he made a safe landing after jumping off.

By now everyone was cheering as Toothless fired a few plasma blasts into the sky. "They're still the best," Astrid said with a grin.

'_He can still only breathe fire_,' Snowfire muttered crossly. I smirked and patted her on the neck. Snowfire was known for her pride, so I wasn't surprised when she said that.

"It's okay, I know you're still the best," I whispered. Snowfire hummed in agreement as Toothless joined us.

'_I would expect as much_.' Her next statement only made me roll my eyes. Some things never changed.

...

We returned to the island about an hour later, after having to listen to the twins argue all that time. Apparently Ruffnut was getting annoyed with the way Tuffnut had handled Barf and Belch. The two were at each others throats until Astrid stepped in and stopped them.

Now that we were back it was obvious that some of the Vikings weren't too fond of the dragons. It didn't help that they were the ones causing trouble.

"Bad dragon! Let go of my food!" The woman tried prying a piece of bread away from a Terrible Terror. Unfortunately it was strong enough to pull her out of the house. Then the Terrible Terror grabbed what was left of her bread and scurried away. "Drop that you pesky dragon!" she shouted as it hissed at her.

"Oh this is bad," I muttered as Snowfire nudged my elbow with her muzzle.

"Get off my roof you pest!" Someone shouted at a Deadly Nadder. Apparently it found the roof more comfortable than a bed of hay. Stoick should have taken Hiccup's advice on the stables. But of course he had turned the offer down, saying that Vikings had more important things to worry about.

"They're usually not this bad," Hiccup insisted as a Monstrous Nightmare grabbed a basket full of apples.

"Let go of that! These are my apples!" the man cried as it suddenly pulled them away. I couldn't help but smirk as a Deadly Nadder suddenly ran into a laundry line, taking the clothing with it.

"Give me back my laundry you beast!" the woman shouted.

"In coming!" someone suddenly called.

Snowfire blocked my view just in time as dragons started flying over us. Unfortunately for Hiccup he didn't have such a luxury. I grimaced when I realized what was happening. Dragon dung was one thing I had not gotten used to. Snowfire usually did her business far away from the village, so I never had the chance to see what it looked like.

And to my surprise I noticed that it was an ugly looking green color. It had a putrid fishy stench that made my nose wrinkle in disgust. Once again I was thankful Snowfire was with me. She always seemed to know what I was thinking.

Once the dragons had left, Bucket and Mulch joined us. The two were good friends, and had lost a few limbs in the days when the villagers fought off dragons. In Bucket's case he had also lost a piece of his mind apparently. I glanced at them in surprise when Mulch nodded at us.

"Hey Mulch, hey Bucket," Hiccup greeted them uneasily. "Sorry about the—" He was pointing up to where the dragons had been.

"Every day at three o'clock," said Bucket. "The regular at least. A tip of the cap."

"Better than the days when it was kill or be killed," Mulch replied with a wink. He turned and looked at Hiccup before saying something else, "Hey, we've got some fish for that father of yours." He than turned to look at Bucket. "Bucket, give the boy the cod."

Bucket than pulled out a bag that was torn open. I frowned when I realized that a dragon must have gotten at it. It took Bucket a few seconds to notice that the bag was missing it's fish. "I ate it already? Did I enjoy it?" he asked.

'_What a stupid human_,' Snowfire suddenly muttered. I would've smacked her muzzle had I not agreed with her. I would never say something like that out loud though. We all had our quirks, and this was obviously his.

"Uh, no actually Bucket, I'm afraid that the uh…." Hiccup pointed towards the Terrible Terror in question. I nearly smacked myself when I realized it was Spikes who stole the fish.

"Really Spikes?" He hissed at Bucket defiantly as the older man tried reaching out for him. Two more Terrible Terrors flew after Spikes as he hid behind a house. "Sorry, he's usually not that bad," I muttered under my breath. It looked like someone wasn't going to be spending the night on the bed.

...

The next morning was rough. Spikes had been clawing at my door all night trying to get in. Snowfire finally had enough and scared him away with a roar that woke up most of the village. It took a while for me to calm them both down, and of course I hadn't gotten much sleep after that.

Now I was sitting outside on my doorstep, trying to figure out how to make this work.

Why had things suddenly gotten more complicated? It wasn't like the dragons were trying to make our lives a living hell. They were just doing what came naturally. I'm sure they didn't realize how much trouble they were giving us.

It didn't take me long to notice that someone had approached Hiccup's house. With a roll of my eyes I realized that it was Mildew, the town's eldest hater of dragons. Truth be told he did terrify me. And what was the deal with that sheep he always kept with him?

A shudder ran along my arms at the thought. There had to be something wrong with him.

"Stoick!" Mildew yelled while holding on to his sheep, Fungus.

"Here's Mildew with our complaint of the day," Gobber announced after he and Stoick had stepped outside.

"You picked a bad time, Mildew. I'm in the middle of storing the food. The freeze is coming," Stoick told him. I hadn't realized until now that Snowfire had joined me. She was peering over my shoulder with narrowed eyes as Mildew turned to glare at us.

Of all the people on Berk, Mildew had put up the biggest fight when Stoick had allowed me to stay. Apparently he wasn't too fond of complete strangers staying on the island. Not that I blamed him or anything. But it was still annoying to listen to his complaints all the time.

"It's the dragons again," Mildew complained. I spotted Hiccup hiding around the corner of the house, with Toothless not far behind. He caught my eye and gave the faintest nods, already knowing where this was headed. "Those demons aren't fit to live alongside civilized men. And the same goes with that brat you brought here." Mildew looked pointedly in my direction.

'_And you are_?' Snowfire retorted. '_All I see is a bitter human who deserves to have his throat ripped out_.' Her growl was directed at Mildew, causing the old man to flinch away in disbelief.

"Neither are you Mildew," Gobber reminded him. "Why do you think we built your house so far outside the town?"

"Oh very well, make your jokes," grumbled Mildew. He took a step closer, causing both men to look uncomfortable. "Meanwhile these dragons are eating your village food, and tearing people's houses into piles of rubble." He pointed a staff towards all of the damage caused by the wild dragons.

"Mildew is right," a man said in agreement.

"They even disturb an old man's rest," Mildew continued rambling. Soon a crowd was gathered around him. Snowfire let out another growl of annoyance, causing several people to jump in surprise. "Can't you see the bags under my eyes?" he asked while pointing to his eyes.

"He's right, he's hideous!" Gobber exclaimed.

"These are wild and unpredictable beasts," Mildew rambled on. He tapped his staff on Bucket's head as if to make a point. "They even cracked this man's skull like an egg!"

"Eggs? I love eggs; scrambled, poached and over-easy!" Bucket announced randomly. Mildew than turned to Stoick, grinning triumphantly as everyone started agreeing with him.

"You need to put those beasts in cages. If ya don't, they'll eat us out of our house and homes, and destroy the entire village!"

'_I do not like where this is going_,' Snowfire growled.

"This is crazy," I muttered. "They've done nothing wrong that he's pointed out. They're just doing what comes naturally." Snowfire hummed in agreement, but it didn't seem like anyone else cared. In fact most of the villagers were agreeing with what Mildew had said.

"They don't mean any harm," Hiccup pointed out. "They're just dragons being dragons."

I chose that moment to push my way through the crowd so that I could join him. Snowfire was quick to join us shortly after, jostling the already irritated crowd. It was amusing to watch their reaction. But it did only encourage what Mildew had said about dragons.

"Hiccups right, they are only doing what comes naturally," I put in. Stoick looked at us both before speaking up once more.

"Look, Mildew, if there's a problem, I'll deal with it," he told the old man.

"Oh, there's a problem Stoick. And I think I speak for the entire village when I say that you'd better do something about it," Mildew spat before walking away.

'_Foolish human_. _He is the reason I hate them so_.' I couldn't help but flinch when Snowfire said that. There were some things about her that I would never know. Like how she had become the only one of her kind. Or that she hated humans so much.

...

It was later that night Hiccup and I were discussing the problems with dragons. Snowfire had decided to take flight during our little meeting. I knew she was still upset over what had happened this morning. If I could I would've let her rip out Mildew's throat. But I know that no good would come out of that.

"I wish there was a way to stop the dragons without causing more problems," I muttered as I sat beside Toothless.

The Night Fury was busy cleaning his wing while we talked. He was more than happy with the extra company, and had even offered a half-eaten fish for me. Apparently it was a costume dragons had to share their half-eaten food. Fortunately I didn't have to eat it, unlike Hiccup. I still had to laugh at that story.

"We can't just let the dragons run around like they own the place," Stoick put in. He looked at the table thoughtfully before giving out an idea. "We could put out signs," he suggested.

"Signs, for dragons?" Gobber asked doubtfully. I tried not to smirk at his expression.

"No, for the people!" Stoick explained.

"Signs, for Vikings? We're not big readers, Stoick," Gobber reminded him. He did have a point there. I'd visited their library before, back when I first started learning their language. But the library had been small, and rather dusty. It was obvious that the library wasn't well used.

"Then we'll build a huge net and place it over the plaza," Stoick said. Now it sounded like he was getting desperate.

"Nets? You do realize that they breathe fire, right?" Gobber pointed out in a skeptical tone.

"I know very well that they breathe fire, Gobber," Stoick muttered. Now he was getting annoyed. I guess I shouldn't point out that not all dragons breathe fire. Snowfire could breathe ice too. Stoick let out a sigh of frustration and looked down at the floor. "Maybe Mildew was right," he added.

"Wait, dad," Hiccup suddenly spoke up. Toothless looked at his rider in surprise and made a crooning noise. "What if we dealt with the dragons?"

"You?" Stoick asked in disbelief.

"Who else?" Hiccup asked while approaching Toothless. The Night Fury was rubbing his chin against my arm. I couldn't help but scratch Toothless' neck in his favorite spot. "If anyone can get the dragons under control, it's us. We're the best people for the job."

"Snowfire could help translate what the dragons are saying," I pointed out. "She's the only dragon of her kind who can speak to humans."

"And she's also as stubborn as a mule," Stoick reminded me. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. He did have a good point there. "Alright, starting tomorrow you two will figure out a way to stop them."

"We'll be fine," Hiccup reassured his father.

...

"Do you really think this plan of ours will work?" I asked as I stared at the ceiling. Snowfire lay nearby on her stone slab, with Spikes nestled close to her. After the night before I wasn't about to go through the same night of no sleep. I desperately needed some.

'_It appears as though you have no other choice_,' Snowfire reminded me. '_The wild dragons listen to no one_. _I doubt they will listen to a couple of hatchlings_.'

I could only hope that our plan would work. Otherwise the dragons were in trouble. We had only just gotten peace between them. I wasn't in any hurry to start another war against the dragons.

...

"Alright gang," Hiccup said with confidence. We were standing in the center of the plaza; Toothless and Snowfire stood close by. "There's going to be a few changes around here."

"Doesn't look like anything's wrong here," I murmured hopefully.

"I wouldn't speak too soon." I turned just in time to see a Deadly Nadder being chased out of someone's house. A woman was trying to force it away as it stole a piece of bread.

"Get out!" The woman tried shooing it away. "For the last time, get your nose out of my bread!" The woman than ran back into her house.

"Hang on, I'll help you," Hiccup said. The Deadly Nadder turned to look at him curiously as he placed out his hand. Snowfire watched on in amusement as he tried bonding with it. All that kept me from laughing was the act that we were supposed to be helping.

'_Foolish hatchling_,' Snowfire chided. Hiccup flinched at the words just as a flock of chickens started running past us. The Deadly Nadder was startled from it's concentration, than it started giving chase to the chickens. '_Of course he would not listen_,' Snowfire said.

"Hey, I'd like to see you try and befriend that Nadder," Hiccup muttered. Snowfire only made a sound that was similar to laughter.

My eyes scanned the area until I spotted a Gronckle searching the area for food. Well, there's the source of the problem. Obviously the Gronckle had been hungry and was trying to find something proper to eat.

"Got a fish I can give it?" I asked nonchalantly.

Hiccup gave me a look, but before he could say anything a Monstrous Nightmare and Deadly Nadder started fighting one another up on a hill. That was when I caught sight of something I'll never forget.

Sheep that were on fire started running towards us. Both Toothless and Snowfire looked on in disbelief as they barged past us.

"Toothless, stop that fight," Hiccup ordered. Toothless did as he was told and got in between the Monstrous Nightmare and Deadly Nadder. "We'll take care of the sheep."

I nodded in agreement before grabbing the nearest sheep on fire. Snowfire wasted no time in putting the fire out with her ice breath. The sheep, already having been traumatized, ran away once the flames were doused.

At that moment Vikings and dragons were running rampant, trying to stop one another. Normally I'd be laughing my head off, but at the moment that probably wasn't a good idea. Hiccup was running towards the last sheep with a bucket of water. Unfortunately the sheep ran right into him and jumped away.

Snowfire had rushed over to my side when Hiccup managed to put out the sheep. I hadn't realized until now how late it was.

"Oh no…." Hiccup's words were cut short as the dragons arrived. This was not going to end well.

...

It was later that night I'd finally gotten the last of that stench out of my nose. Snowfire was busy eating a pile of fish she'd brought in for both herself and Spikes when I finished changing. After today's fiasco I had a feeling I would be seeing flaming sheep in my dreams.

"I'd better check and make sure Hiccup's okay," I murmured after realizing he'd probably gotten the worst out of today.

'_If anything his pride was hurt_,' Snowfire warned me. I smirked and nodded in agreement. We had managed to stop a few fights, but the plaza still looked like a war zone. I could imagine Stoick would have a few choice words when this was over.

"Well, here goes nothing." I sighed before stepping outside. Luckily his house was only a few feet away. And soon enough I was at the front door, waiting for an answer.

"Hey." Hiccup sounded exhausted, and looked it.

"Hey yourself," I said once he let me inside. "So, your dad isn't back yet?" I tried acting as casually as I could. It was obvious that he was in pain right now.

"He's just checking out the destruction from earlier." Hiccup leaned against Toothless as the Night Fury helped him up. I couldn't help but grimace when I noticed how bruised his arms looked.

"I'm sorry there wasn't anything else I could do." Sympathy made me swallow my words. God I wished there was an easy way to do this. I'd never had problems like this in my world. Sure high school was a pain in the ass, but I never had to worry about dragons attacking my home.

"Don't blame yourself for that," he muttered. Toothless crooned softly when Hiccup showed signs of discomfort. "Oh there has to be an easier way to handle this!" He threw his arms up in frustration. I didn't blame him one bit.

The plaza looked like a mess from where the dragons had gone rampant. What made things worse was the fact that he would be blamed for it. I'm sure Mildew would find some way to blame it on me, and it was partly my fault. There could have been something I could do to help.

"Hiccup!" Stoick suddenly yelled. Toothless perked up almost at once as the sound of heavy footsteps followed. I glanced at Hiccup sympathetically as he straightened up. "What's going on out there?" he demanded once he was inside. "The plaza looks like a war zone!"

Hey, that's what I had thought. Of course I wouldn't say that out loud.

"I know this looks bad…." Hiccup began.

"Really bad," I couldn't help but say under my breath.

"But this is only uh…. Phase One of my… master plan!" He looked between his father and me hopefully. Obviously he was hoping that there really would be more to his plan.

"Oh, so you do have a plan?" Stoick asked.

"I do…. Of course I do," he said with false hope. "It's… very complex with lots of drawings, and um, several moving parts…. Yeah, it's pretty wild."

Even I was looking at Hiccup skeptically when he said that.

"Huh, this had better be real, because Mildew has stirred up the whole island," Stoick told him. "If you don't get these dragons under control, they'll be calling for their heads." Toothless made a crooning noise in concern as Stoick started walking away.

"Don't worry bud," Hiccup started while rubbing the side of his neck, "Your head isn't going anywhere."

"You do realize that there are like a bazillion dragons and only two of us?" I reminded him. "I hope there really is a plan."

"I do have a plan," he insisted with a sheepish grin. Toothless made another crooning sound of confusion. "It's just not exactly written on paper." All I could do was smirk. Hopefully he was right about this plan. Otherwise the village would be in an uproar over these dragons.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So these next few chapters will be quite a lot longer than the previous ones. I'm breaking them apart to make it a somewhat easier read. Anywho, next chapter will likely be posted early tomorrow since I have a concert to attend later that day :)<strong>

**silverwolvesarecool - Hehe, yep :P And I'll have to check it out when I get the chance. Life's been kind of crazy lately between job searching and driving XD**


	16. The Berk Dragon Training Academy

**Chapter Sixteen**

* * *

><p>"<em>Different colors, We carry each other We're just different colors, This is why we're biting the bullet We know the kids are right...<em>" Different Colors, WALK THE MOON

* * *

><p>It was early in the morning when Hiccup had woken us all up. Much to my chagrin Snowfire had nearly eaten his arm off because of that. It was only thanks to a lot of convincing that I had finally stopped her. I think at that point Hiccup had learned the hard way not to wake her up early. She's worse than I am when it comes to not getting enough sleep.<p>

Which is what led us to the dragon training arena. Apparently Hiccup's big idea had led us to going here with the other teens. They weren't all that amused with being woken up early either. Although I did notice that Astrid and Fishlegs showed interest in his ideas.

"That's your big plan?" asked Ruffnut. "Train dragons?"

"Here?" Tuffnut added. "Where we used to kill them?" All of the dragons other than Snowfire looked uncomfortable. She just kept her stoic appearance as the others coward near the edge of the arena. I imagine the other dragons didn't have very fond memories of this place.

"Right, because we don't do that anymore," said Hiccup as he placed a basket of fish next to Toothless. "That's why it's available." Toothless eyed the fish basket with interest, but a warning growl from Snowfire stopped him from eating them.

"Actually they do seem a little nervous," I pointed out as Astrid patted Stormfly on the shoulder. Stormfly was looking around warily, as if she was expecting someone to charge after her with an axe or a sword.

"That's because they're very sensitive," explained Fishlegs. He stroked Meatlug as her ears flattened with unease. "Meatlug especially. She lost a cousin here." I didn't miss how sad Meatlug looked as her rider talked about it. "We try not to talk about it," he added in a whisper.

'_This place reeks of humans_,' Snowfire grunted. Her words were directed towards the other teens, who looked at her in surprise. I simply patted her on the shoulder as I walked over to her side. Even she wasn't comfortable here, it seemed.

"It's amazing that your dad just gave you this place," Astrid put in. She had walked over to Hiccup's side once everyone was settled down. Snowfire nudged my arm gently and crooned in annoyance. I only rolled my eyes and rubbed her muzzle, hoping no one noticed.

"Yeah…. It totally would be… if he did. But he didn't, so that's another thing we shouldn't talk about," he said with a shrug.

"Wait, so you're going behind your father's back?" I asked warily. Something told me that nothing good would come out of this.

"There you go, talking about it!" Hiccup threw me a look that said 'don't you dare say anything'. I only shrugged before leaning against Snowfire. "Besides, last time it went pretty well," he quickly added.

"From what I recall your father was pretty pissed off with you," I pointed out. Hiccup was ready to argue when he thought better of it.

'_I would avoid your foolish father's anger at all costs_,' Snowfire huffed in amusement as he glared at her. She did have a point there. Stoick had a way of making everyone feel uncomfortable when he got angry.

"Alright everyone," Hiccup began, trying to change the subject, "Here's the thing. Dragons are out of control. We want them to live in our world without them destroying it. But they can't do that without our help. They've been blowing things up in the village. We've got to do something about it."

"Got it," Tuffnut said with a grin. "Help dragons blow things up. We can totally do that."

"No, I believe I said—"

"Here's how we're going to do it," Ruffnut cut him off, "First, we make them really, really angry."

"No problem," said Tuffnut as he clenched his fist, "We make everyone angry."

"Guys, this is serious," I suddenly stopped them.

"Mildew wants our dragons caged. I don't know about you, but that's not okay with me," Hiccup added while rubbing Toothless' nose.

I couldn't help but nod in agreement. I doubted Snowfire would ever allow anyone to put her in a cage. She already had a hard enough time getting along with humans. Knowing her she really would rip out Mildew's throat if he threatened to cage her.

"Dragons don't belong in cages,' I put in. "And knowing Mildew he'll do far worse than caging them." I glanced at Hiccup who nodded in agreement.

'_Let him try and cage me_,' Snowfire suddenly spat. The ferocity in her voice made everyone jump in surprise. '_He will never live to see the light of day_.'

"You're right," said Tuffnut while pointing at his sister. "She's sorry." Ruffnut glared at him

"Okay than, next problem. The dragons are eating everything in sight," Hiccup began as he grabbed a loaf of bread. Toothless licked his lips and eyed the bread with interest. "Now, when a dragon grabs something it's not supposed to have," he paused as Toothless grabbed the bread, "you can get them to drop it by giving a scratch just below the chin." To demonstrate he scratched underneath Toothless' chin, and he dropped the bread.

Snotlout just snorted and grabbed a loaf of bread before walking over to Hookfang. The Monstrous Nightmare looked indifferent at the sight. I still had to wonder how those two got paired together. Hookfang obviously had the attitude of a Monstrous Nightmare. Maybe Snotlout shared a similar personality to him.

"That may work for you and Toothless," he began. "But Hookfang and me do things a little differently." He tossed the loaf of bread to Hookfang, who caught it with ease. "When I want this big boy to do something, I get right up in his face and yell, '**Drop that right now**!'" His shouting made Hookfang drawl back in fear. Than the Monstrous Nightmare's eyes narrowed with anger. "**You hearing me**?" he continued shouting.

Hookfang let out a growl before dropping the bread and grabbing Snotlout between his teeth. I had to laugh when Hookfang started shaking him around like a dog would with their toy. "See?" His voice was muffled as he spoke. "He dropped it."

"Should we help him?" Tuffnut asked.

"Yeah, in a minute," I replied with a smirk.

"Alright, we've got a lot of training to do," Hiccup said. "But together, we can keep these dragons under control."

'_No human can tame me_,' Snowfire pointed out. Hiccup just rolled his eyes at that, leading Toothless and the others away. Snotlout was still hanging from Hookfang's mouth as the dragon continued shaking him relentlessly.

"Uh, can someone do that chin scratch thingy?" Snotlout asked. "Hello? You guys still there?"

...

It was later in the afternoon when we reached the plaza. After having spent most of the morning teaching everyone how to properly train their dragons, it was oddly peaceful. Astrid had to free Snotlout from Hookfang's jaws after he had started shouting again. I was still trying not to laugh when Snotlout ended up being covered in dragon slobber.

"Does this stuff come off?" he asked in annoyance.

"I think you should keep that look," I said with a grin. Snotlout looked at me in surprise before grinning back.

"Really?"

I had to keep on a straight face as everyone else just smirked. Snotlout's face fell when he realized it was a joke. Really, he made it too easy.

Surprisingly the plaza itself was still intact. No dragons in sight, other than Snowfire. She was crouching behind me, sniffing the air every now and than.

'_Something is not right_,' she commented. I nodded in agreement after realizing she was right. Things shouldn't be this peaceful so quickly. It was never that easy.

"Huh, no dragons," Fishlegs said.

"Well that was easy," Tuffnut replied with a shrug. This was one of those moments I wished I had one of Staples 'That was easy' buttons. Their reactions would be priceless.

"Anyone up for lunch?" Snotlout asked.

"That's weird," Hiccup started. "If the dragons aren't here, where are they?"

That was when an explosion shook the entire village, followed by the loud screams of the villagers.

"Something tells me that way," Astrid said. All of us ran over to the source of the explosion. To my surprise and horror I realized it was the place where they stored all of their food. Dragons were crowding the area as they grabbed what they could. "Stormfly?" Astrid's voice was full of disbelief as the Deadly Nadder looked at her guiltily.

"Hookfang?" Snotlout asked as the dragon in question lifted his head.

'_I told you something was not right_,' Snowfire muttered. I glanced at her and realized that she had grabbed a piece of fish as well. '_What_?' she asked as if nothing was wrong.

The storage house was completely destroyed, and empty. I couldn't help but grimace at the sight, realizing that it would take months to restock everything. The dragons returned to their riders' side after noticing the trouble they were in.

"They've eaten everything!" Stoick exclaimed. He threw one of the columns on the ground before looking at the dragons accusingly. "We've got nothing left for the freeze!"

Oh great, so the cold now was only going to get worse. I'd lived on the island for almost a year now, and I still wasn't used to the cold. What happened to warm and humid summers?

"I warned you Stoick, but did you listen to me?" Mildew asked as he walked through the crowd. I resisted the urge to glare at the old man. God there were times when I just wanted to slap the living daylights out of him. "No, but you put a bunch of teenagers in charge, and that outsider!" He threw his staff in my direction.

Snowfire let out a warning snarl, causing Mildew to shrink back in fear. Yeah I was an outsider, but that didn't mean I wasn't going to try and help.

"And look at what the dragons have done! Caging is too good for those beasts." He shot a triumphant smirk in our direction. Snowfire only growled in response, the temperature around us suddenly got a lot colder.

'_I would watch your tongue, old man_,' Snowfire snapped. I couldn't help but smirk when Mildew glared at her. He should know better by now not to mess with her. Snowfire wasn't tamed like the other dragons around here, and I didn't exactly have control over her actions.

"Dad, I swear I can fix this—" Hiccup started, but Stoick cut him off with a wave of his hand.

"Enough, Hiccup," he snapped. "How can I trust you to control all the dragons when you can't even control your own?" He looked pointedly at Toothless, who had a mouthful of fish. The Night Fury suddenly swallowed his fish, crooning in embarrassment when he realized he was caught.

"Oh Toothless," Hiccup sighed after realizing what Toothless was up to.

Stoick pushed him aside and walked into what was left of the storage house. "Bucket, Mulch, man the boats; we'll need another catch," he ordered while tossing aside empty baskets. Snowfire was quick to swallow up a half-eaten fish one of the dragons had tossed aside.

"It's too late Stoick," Mulch explained warily. "It took us six months to catch all of that fish!"

"Do not tell me it's too late," Stoick snapped. "We've got to try!"

"Of course we do." Mulch looked down in shame before perking up again. "We don't tell the chief it's too late," he added after prying Bucket down with his hook of a hand. "Why are you always so negative?"

"I don't know what it is with me," Bucket murmured.

"Dad, please just listen to me," Hiccup insisted as the two went off to the dock. "I know dragons better than—" Stoick stopped him before he could try saying anything else.

"Not now, Hiccup," Stoick said after throwing a few empty baskets over his shoulder. "I have a village to feed." He walked out of the storage house and placed a few basket on a wheelbarrow. "The dragons caused enough damage. By tonight, I want every one of them caged. Understand?"

Snowfire let out a threatening growl, causing the other Vikings gathered around us to turn and walk away. Despite the fear from earlier I couldn't help but feel angry. Once again Stoick wasn't listening to his own son. Why couldn't he see that we were just trying to help?

'_No human shall cage me_.' She towered over Stoick, whose own eyes widened in surprise as she glared at him. Then he looked at me accusingly, to which I just shrugged.

"Hey, she's as wild as it gets," I said with a roll of my eyes. "I have no control over her actions." Snowfire snorted in agreement, letting out a puff of smoke that covered the area.

"You can't just cage the dragons," Mildew suddenly pointed out. "You need to send them away, now! Along with that bad omen." Again his staff was pointed towards me. Some of the other Vikings were murmuring in agreement, and again I just folded my arms in annoyance.

"You're right Mildew, about the dragons," Stoick quickly corrected himself after noticing the glare Hiccup was giving him. "We'll cage them in the morning. And in the morning, Hiccup will send them off the island. I'm sorry, son."

Snowfire rubbed her muzzle against my arm. There were some things I couldn't do, and one of them happened to be this. She wasn't just like the dragons living on this island. She had her own life and had chosen to stay with me all of this time.

"I'm sorry." My voice was barely a whisper as her muzzle touched my face.

'_It is not your fault, little one_,' she replied. '_Some humans cannot be changed_.'

"There has to be something we can do," Hiccup muttered. By now the other teens had wandered off to the arena after the crowd dispersed. Snowfire pulled away as I glanced at Hiccup.

'_We were only doing what comes naturally_,' Snowfire suddenly put in. That was when a sudden idea sparked in my mind. She did have a good point about the wild dragons. They were doing what came naturally, and the humans needed to learn how to use that to their advantage.

Hiccup looked at me in surprise when I relayed the information Snowfire had given me. It may not be much of a plan but it was something. And it was certainly better than what we had been doing. Hopefully the others would be just as interested, especially since it meant the dragons wouldn't have to be caged.

"That might just work," he finally murmured in agreement.

"What do you think Stoick will say to it?" I leaned against Snowfire as she started cleaning her wing. For some reason dragons were obsessed with keeping their wings clean. Snowfire especially. According to her it was an insult to her species if their wings showed any signs of dirt or grime.

"If we're lucky he won't have say in it." Hiccup was quick to climb into Toothless' saddle, and I did the same with Snowfire. We needed to get to the arena before they caged their dragons.

The two of us reached the arena in seconds. I narrowed my eyes when I saw that the others were already leading their dragons to the cages. Snowfire shifted in mid-flight before landing safely inside the arena. Clearly she was more uncomfortable here than she let on.

"I'm sorry Stormfly," Astrid murmured after giving her dragon a hug. "Now go!" She pointed towards the cages, and the dragons reluctantly obeyed them.

"It feels like big sharp teeth are ripping this thing through my chest," Snotlout muttered.

"That's what it feels like when your heart is breaking," Astrid told him.

"I don't have a heart! I'm not a girl," he protested. To which I just rolled my eyes once again. Honestly, I don't even think he listens to have of the things that fly out of his mouth.

They all watched while fighting back tears as the dragons retreated to their cages. It was hard to watch, until Hiccup had finally caught up with us. Toothless landed beside Snowfire, crooning with concern as the other dragons stopped in their tracks.

"Don't close it!" he yelled as the gates started to close. "We're not locking them up," he added after we both climbed off and joined them. Snowfire trotted over to my side and crooned in contentment as the other teens looked on with wide eyes.

"What happened?" asked Astrid. I didn't miss the hope in her eyes as she looked at Hiccup. "Did you change your father's mind? Or are we going behind his back again?" Her smile changed to a look of suspicion as she eyed us both.

"Uh, one of those," I replied sheepishly. Hiccup glanced at me in amusement before explaining our plan.

"Look, the dragons are going to do what they're going to do," he said. "It's their nature." He looked at me once more as I gave a faint nod.

"We just need to learn how to use it," I finished for him.

...

"Alright, does everyone have the plan?" Hiccup asked.

"Question, I thought we were gonna destroy the village," Ruffnut said in an accusing tone.

"Yeah, I like that plan better," Tuffnut agreed. Barf and Belch made a sound of agreement before they started arguing with each other again.

"Just go," I muttered crossly. The twins looked at us both before taking off. Snotlout was quick to fly Hookfang towards the ocean, where Bucket and Mulch were currently anchored and fishing. Snowfire took off shortly after and was quick to follow.

"It's empty again," I heard Mulch complain after pulling out a net.

"Did I eat it already?" Bucket asked. "Did I enjoy it? Am I being too negative again?"

"Snotlout, scare us up some fish," I said once we were close enough. There were always fish around, it was just a matter of searching in the right area. Dragons could dive deeper than any human ever dreamed of diving.

Hookfang had proven that with ease as he dove into the ocean. Seconds later and fish were starting to reach the surface and swim into the net. Hookfang resurfaced moments later once they had caught enough fish for the season.

"Hey, thanks dragons!" Mulch shouted as Hookfang flew higher in the sky.

"That's right!" Snotlout cheered as he flew off with Hookfang. "That just happened!"

Snowfire snorted in amusement and flew over back to the village. I watched on from a distance as Hiccup and the others managed to work on Mildew's field. Apparently the Gronckles had been eating his crop. This was a good way to make up for that by using the dragons to fertilize the field.

"Our turn now," I stated as we flew towards the forest.

'_This should be fun_,' Snowfire hummed just when we spotted our prey.

Hogs were scouting the forest floor for anything they found edible. Soon the twins had managed to scare them into the open. Snowfire fired a blast of smoke at the hogs, causing them to flee towards the village. Toothless quickly caught up with us and managed to herd them towards the new storage house.

"How's Mildew like his gift?" I asked when Snowfire flew beside Toothless.

"He wasn't too fond of it," Hiccup replied with a grin. I tried not to smirk at that. It didn't surprise me that Mildew wouldn't be happy. He was probably upset that the dragons had been helping rather than destroying his house.

"That was awesome!" Fishlegs shouted when the hogs were locked inside.

Astrid finally looked up as Toothless landed nearby. Snowfire had landed beside Stormfly, causing the Deadly Nadder to shift uncomfortably. "How did you two know that was going to work?" Astrid asked.

"Because they're dragons, and dragons are going to do what they do," I replied with a shrug. Snowfire hummed in agreement before nudging my elbow once more.

"We just need to learn to work with them and not against them," Hiccup put in. "Snowfire's actually the one who gave that advice." She made a deep rumbling sound in her chest that sounded almost like a purr.

"There they are." Mildew's voice suddenly cut in, and all of us turned to see that he was leading Stoick towards us. "Those dragons don't look like they're in cages to me," he sneered.

'_Oh please let me bite his head off_,' Snowfire snapped.

"There will be no head biting," I retorted. Snowfire only huffed in annoyance and turned away.

"No, this is not what I asked for," Stoick replied after looking at Hiccup.

We are in so much trouble. Stoick led us to the arena shortly after. All of us walked on in silence. The pride from earlier had washed away almost instantly. Now it felt like we were taking the walk of shame as Stoick remained well, stoic.

Eventually we reached the dragon arena, and a crowd had already gathered in the seats around us. All of us were lined up as we waited for Stoick's punishment. I was sure that nothing good would come out of this. Snowfire had refused to listen to him when the other dragons were put in cages. Instead she was standing behind me, growling in anger as Stoick and Gobber faced us.

"Oh no, what's Stoick going to do with us?" Fishlegs fretted over the latest punishment.

"I'm too pretty for jail," Ruffnut complained. I tried not to fidget with my hair when I realized where this was going.

Hiccup had managed to keep his father from throwing me in prison during our first meeting. Stoick had been rather angry when we first met. I think he was more angry that Hiccup had kept me a secret until the Red Death was killed.

"Where'd you hear that from?" Tuffnut asked.

"You all disobeyed my orders," Stoick began once the crowd quieted down. He turned to glare at us before continuing, "and there will be consequences."

"I told you," Astrid whispered to Hiccup. She let out a frustrated sigh and glared at him. "You never listen to me."

"For the record, this was all her idea!" Snotlout suddenly pointed a finger at me. I was ready to punch him in the arm when Stoick stopped us both.

"Dad, if anyone's going to get in trouble, it should be me," Hiccup said after stepping forward.

"No, you all had a hand in this," Stoick corrected him. I would've just put the whole blame on me. After all it was me who came up with the idea. Well, partly it was all me. Hiccup had come up with the idea of having the dragons do Mildew's farm work. "You took over this place without asking. You release the dragons against my wishes." Stoick looked down at us all, all the while making me feel even guiltier. "Things are going to change around here. That's why—"

"You're getting a Dragon Training Academy!" Gobber suddenly piped in. Everyone gasped at the news, including the people in the stands.

"Gobber!" Stoick said in an accusing tone. "I wanted to tell them!"

"I'm sorry," apologized Gobber. By now the news had only sunk in as everyone tried gathering what Gobber had said. "Go ahead."

"Well, you told most of it," Stoick grumbled.

"You can tell him about how proud you are of him!" Gobber suggested.

"Gobber!" Stoick sighed in frustration as Gobber fiddled with his hook for a hand sheepishly. "Hiccup, well, what he said. You've all made me proud." He started walking towards the gates. "This academy is for you." He opened the gates to release the dragons.

Almost at once everyone rushed over to give their dragons a respectable hug. Snowfire gently nudged me in the back before I rubbed her forehead. It was good to see them free again. Dragons didn't belong in cages.

'_I will never let these humans cage me_,' she reassured me. I understood what she meant by that.

"Now, all you have to do is train them," Stoick said once they had been reunited with their dragons.

"Not a problem dad," Hiccup replied. "After all, I've got him." I made a tiny coughing noise, and Hiccup grinned at me sheepishly. "And them."

...

I couldn't imagine my life without Snowfire now. She was an amazing dragon, and she knew it. Dragons couldn't be controlled like people had wanted. But, who would want to control them? I'd be happier letting them do what comes naturally, so long as it was in the village's limits.

The next day found us setting up the new academy. Snotlout and Fishlegs were on their dragons hanging the sign. The sign itself was beautifully carved, with what looked like a Night Fury on it. The only difference was that the Night Fury had an arrow shaped tail, like Snowfire's. I smirked when I noticed the tail fin had red on it, like the tail fin on Toothless' tail.

"The Berk Dragon Academy," I said with a grin. "I like the sound of that."

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><p><strong>AN: So this chapter was fun to write... yeah. I've actually got quite a few new ideas that sprung up during the night :P So this story may take a different turn after the first few episodes are finished... I'm not entirely sure how, but it will.<strong>

**silverwolvesareawesome - That's good, 'cause that's what I was aiming for ;) Hopefully with a bit more humor and detail as well...**

**69579 - That's good to hear :) Writing chapters can be difficult, especially when you have writer's block!**


	17. Viking For Hire

**Chapter Seventeen**

It took me nearly a year to find my place in this world. There were still times when I wasn't sure whether or not I belonged. Snowfire and Hiccup had made it easier for me to fit in. I think part of that is because Hiccup knows what it's like to be left out.

Some people know what they were born to do. And for others, they had to learn their path. Snowfire had taught me mine, and now I was helping Hiccup teach the others what it was like to be a dragon rider. Life had become simple since their was peace between dragons and humans. But unfortunately for some of the people on Berk, that peace took away their old jobs.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. It was late in the morning when we found ourselves at the Dragon Academy. We were testing our knowledge of dragons by holding a contest. Whoever lost got to clean out Mildew's place for the next month. At least that was what Snotlout had said.

"Okay, each dragon has it's own special place in the world," Hiccup began while looking at the Book of Dragons. Astrid and Fishlegs stood together while the twins were with Snotlout. So far Snotlout's team had ten points, while Astrid's had ninety eight. And Snotlout's team had started out with ten! "Which dragon makes the hottest welding torch?" he asked.

"Oh!" Astrid called out in excitement. "The Deadly Nadder!"

"It's known to be the dragon with the hottest fire in the world," I put in. To which Snowfire snorted and rolled her eyes. She would argue with just about anyone who had a hotter flame than hers. Stormfly did technically have a hotter flame than hers.

"That's because it's magnesium flame burns with the heat of the sun," Fishlegs boasted. I couldn't help but grin at that. The power of science was staggering. Pokemon reference. Gotta love them. Of course I would never say that out loud. None of these people would know what my favorite game franchise had been, much less care.

"That's correct," Hiccup replied while looking down at the book. "Point to team Astrid. The score is now one hundred to ten." He smirked as Astrid grinned triumphantly.

"And you started out with ten," she put in while Fishlegs smirked at Snotlout's team.

"Next question. What is the shot limit of a Zippleback?" I suddenly piped up after looking over Hiccup's shoulder. I was the only other one not on a team, and for once I was thankful for that. I really knew next to nothing about the other dragons. "Team Snotlout?"

"I don't think they can count that high," Astrid whispered after leaning over to Fishlegs. He snickered in agreement while Ruffnut and Tuffnut glared at them.

"Oh really? Let's find out!" Ruffnut exclaimed. "Barf? Belch?" She looked at the Zippleback as Barf and Belch straightened up. They had been laying down next to the others while the teens went over their questions.

Barf and Belch fired six blasts of sparks and Zippleback gas in Astrid and Fishlegs' direction. Luckily the two teens ducked just in time. The fire hit the wall behind them, leaving a trail of smoke in the process.

"Looks like it's about three," Tuffnut said while trying to count his fingers.

"See?" Ruffnut said with a grin. "Told you we can count that high."

"Actually, it's six, you're half right," Hiccup corrected them. "Five points." I marked the board beside us with five marks. Compared to Astrid's team their score count was pitiful.

"Yes, where up to thirty!" Ruffnut exclaimed while high-fiving Snotlout and her brother. Astrid suddenly stood up and glared at them.

"Alright, it's our turn," she started. "What happens when you shoot fire at the owner of a Deadly Nadder?" She asked before whistling loudly. Stormfly suddenly stood up and twirled around, firing spikes from her tail at Snotlout's team. They were pinned to the wall in seconds.

"No fair!" Tuffnut complained. "She didn't give us time to answer!"

"I've got a question for you," Snotlout began as he rounded on Hookfang. The Monstrous Nightmare had just been minding his own business when Snotlout approached him. "What happens if I sick Hookfang on you?" he demanded.

"Okay guys, that's enough training," Hiccup suddenly announced. "So, we did some really good work here today."

Snotlout ignored him and walked over to Hookfang, who was still fast asleep. He sat on top of Hookfang and grinned. "Prepare to face the Monstrous Nightmare!" he shouted while kicking at Hookfang's sides. Unfortunately for Snotlout, Hookfang woke up and engulfed himself with fire. Apparently Monstrous Nightmares had a nasty habit of setting themselves on fire, and this was one of those moments. "Ah! That's the third time this week!" he shouted when his pants suddenly caught on fire. He started running around until Snowfire fired her ice at him. Snotlout sighed in relief when the fire was put out seconds later. "Ah sweet relief!"

'_Fighting will get you nowhere, hatchlings_,' Snowfire chided them.

"Hey, why does she keep calling us hatchlings?" Fishlegs asked.

"Don't know," I replied with a shrug. "Guess 'cause you sometimes act like one."

"Hookfang never flames up when you ride him," Hiccup said, ignoring what Fishlegs and I had just said. "Is he okay?"

"Maybe he just realized who his owner is," I suggested with a smirk.

"You know, there's room in here for two," Snotlout said after heading for the barrel.

I just rolled my eyes and shoved him in, dunking him into the water before walking away.

...

"I'm just sayin', something's wrong with Hookfang," I muttered as we reached the plaza. "I've never seen him act that way, even around Snotlout, obnoxious as he can be." By now my voice had dropped to a whisper, but Hiccup heard me loud and clear.

"There's nothing in the Book of Dragons that describes what's going on with him," he said with a shrug. "Hopefully everything will be back normal by tomorrow."

Unfortunately for us that tomorrow couldn't happen soon enough. Gobber had the village gathered around the plaza, with his stash of weapons behind him. Snowfire looked on curiously as he tried selling some of his 'best' weapons to the other Vikings.

"You may think these dragon-killing weapons have no more use," Gobber began. "But think again!"

'_This should be good_,' Snowfire hummed as he pulled out a long sword.

"For instance, this long sword can be used as a butter knife!" To demonstrate, he pulled out a plate with bread and tried spreading the butter across it. The plate was now damaged seconds later. "Also great at making breadcrumbs," he added sheepishly. He tried smiling, but the plate cracked into pieces right in front of him. He looked back at the crowd as they just stood there and stared at him. "Moving on."

"Oh this is a dark day." Mildew's voice nearly made me fall over in surprise. I hadn't even noticed the old man walking up to us, but fortunately Snowfire had caught me. "A great dragon slayer, peddling his weapons as kitchen utensils."

"Since when do you know what utensils are used for?" I asked under my breath. Mildew scowled at me before Snowfire's growl scared him off.

"Up next," Gobber said while pulling out a mace, "how about this uh…." He trailed off and looked around in confusion. He caught sight of a horsefly landing on his table, and his face brightened. "This handy fly swatter!" He threw the mace down on to the table, causing it to split apart into splinters. "Uh, also good at getting rid of unwanted furniture," he added as the fly flew away. Snowfire killed it with ease by swatting her tail at it.

'_This human is amusing_,' she said while crooning with laughter.

"Now for the lady of the house," Gobber put in as he walked over to huge, portable catapult. Honestly, why did Vikings even have these things? I keep forgetting that their weapons aren't nearly as advanced compared to the ones from my world. "When the hubby's off pillaging, how are you going to protect yourself from home invaders? No problem when you have big ol' Bertha!"

He patted the catapult affectionately, but unfortunately for him the catapult suddenly launched. I tried not to laugh as the catapult fired a large boulder onto a house in the distance. That could have just as easily been my place.

By now the crowd had started to part. Gobber looked at them desperately and tried to call them back. "Wait! There's more!" he cried. "You haven't seen everything! I haven't cleared out me dungeon yet!" His face fell when no one listened. "It's okay, Bertha." He patted the catapult one more time. "We'll find a place for you."

I had to admit, I did feel sorry for poor Gobber. He had been a good friend when Hiccup was unconscious. Of all the people on Berk he had spoken to me the most during my first week on the island, sharing stories of how he and Stoick had met and become good friends.

"Oh, it's hard to watch isn't it?" Mildew said with a tsk of his tongue. "Especially for you, eh Hiccup? The feeling of guilt must be tearing at your insides. I mean, you put him out of business with your little peace treaty with the dragons. You and that girl ruined the man's life."

Snowfire let out another low snarl, causing Mildew to flee. He should know by now that she wouldn't hesitate to bite his head off. And right now it was really tempting to let her.

'_I would not mind if he mysteriously disappeared one day_,' she huffed.

I nodded in agreement once he was gone. Now that would make for an awesome day. But I never wished death on anyone, and I never will. Something mom had taught me years ago was to have morals. And unfortunately this was one of those times her lessons kicked in.

...

"I never realized how lucky I really am," I decided to randomly say. It was later that evening, and I found myself back at my house. Snowfire was busy eating a pile of fish she'd caught earlier that day. Spikes was quick to dive in once she let him.

'_How is that so_?' Snowfire asked after taking a mouthful of fish.

I glanced out of the large window and looked at the sky. It was full of stars, a beautiful sight. Back where I came from there were too many city lights to actually see the stars. Now I was lucky enough to see them every day. It was easy to make out the constellations and even the Milky Way.

"Here I actually have a place to call home," I murmured thoughtfully. "And I sort of have a job, taking care of you guys." Spikes had already eaten his fill and was curled up next to me on my bed. "Back at home I would've never had that chance."

'_You truly are a strange hatchling_,' she huffed once she was finished. '_Why would you say this now_?' She eyed me curiously as she flew on to the perch Gobber and Hiccup had built for her. Well, mostly Hiccup. Gobber had helped with lifting the heavy beams.

"Well, I feel bad, for Gobber," I explained. "I mean, his life revolved around making weapons that killed dragons." Snowfire let out a growl at the mention of killing dragons. Even I found it difficult to say that. "And now all of a sudden his world was changed."

Snowfire jumped down from her perch once more and landed next to me. What she said next caught me completely off guard.

'_Do you care for this man because that other hatchling does_?' she asked. My eyes widened in disbelief before I tried shaking off the sudden uneasiness.

"Of course not," I snapped. Snowfire only hummed in amusement and rested her chin on my leg.

'_Your response tells me otherwise_,' she chided softly.

I tried coming up with some kind of argument. But my mind was already working overtime with what to do about this guilt. Snowfire's question was completely reasonable, much as I hated to admit it. She was only curious about what I might do next.

"Let's just drop the subject, okay?" I looked away at Spikes as he raised his chin slightly. Clearly he knew that something wasn't right. I let out a sigh of frustration and scratched his chin while Snowfire grunted in annoyance and walked away towards her stone slab.

'_Keeping those feelings locked up inside will not help_,' she warned me as she heated her bed. '_One day you may regret not sharing your feelings_.' Why did that sound like something that came directly from a movie? I shook my head at the thought and tried to think of something else.

Hopefully getting some sleep would wash away the uneasiness that settled over me. Snowfire had a way of making everyone feel uncomfortable, even me.

...

"You're bringing Gobber here?" Fishlegs' voice was full of doubt as we gathered in the arena.

Apparently Gobber hadn't had much luck in finding a new job. Hiccup had said that his dad tried giving Gobber the duties of a chief. First off Gobber had named a baby girl Magnus (which was apparently a fitting name, but the parents weren't too fond of it), and given her a mace to play with. Then he tried stopping an argument between Mulch and Bucket by giving them weapons. Finally he tried patching up a ship with iron.

In all Gobber had only made Stoick's job even more difficult. I was even more surprised when Hiccup said that his dad had two ice blocks to cure a headache. Things had obviously gone very wrong for the poor chief.

Unfortunately for us, Stoick had left Gobber in the care of Hiccup. So now we were forced to find a job that would suit him in the end.

"He's going to be great," Hiccup reassured Fishlegs. "Nobody knows dragons better than old Gobber. He has spent a lifetime of, you know… studying them." The others looked around warily, knowing full well that Hiccup was just trying to find the right words to describe Gobber's days of killing dragons. "If we can tap into that, we'll all be better dragon trainers."

'_I like where this is going already_,' Snowfire said.

Suddenly the gate burst open, and Gobber walked in while wheeling his rack of weapons. "I'm back!" he announced as the dragons around us started panicking. "Did ya miss me?"

I tried not to laugh as the dragons tried getting away. Snowfire was the only one who stayed by my side. She just eyed Gobber coolly before snorting in annoyance. Gobber grinned back before Hiccup stopped him from getting any further.

"First, welcome back," he said to Gobber.

"What happened to Gobber not bringing any weapons?" I asked in a whisper. Hiccup just gave me a look before shaking his head.

"Just go along with it," he muttered.

Gobber tried pulling out a large weapon shortly after. It looked like something that would be used in a cartoon comedy, like the Loony Tunes. Gobber grinned as the dragons started hissing in response at the weapon he'd pulled.

"I thought we could train them by threatening to kill 'em," he explained. "That's how my daddy taught me how to swim!" The dragons started fleeing towards the exit when Gobber threw down the weapon. "School's in session," he announced. It didn't take the dragons long to fly out of the arena. Toothless and Snowfire were the only ones who stayed behind, looking on in what I thought was longing. "Eh, I never liked school either."

"Thank God my schools weren't like this," I muttered after folding my arms.

'_You would be dead_,' Snowfire reminded me.

"Wonder how long it'll take them to catch their dragons?" I asked once the others had gone after their dragons. Toothless was busy cleaning his wing while Snowfire sunned herself in the sparse sunlight. All the while I was helping Hiccup clean up the mess Gobber had created.

"I'd give it an hour or two," Hiccup replied while pushing away some smoke caused by Hookfang. The Monstrous Nightmare had flamed up before taking off with the other dragons, leaving behind a trail of smoke where he went.

'_I do not see why the happiness of one human is so important_,' Snowfire muttered.

"Maybe because Gobber has been there for me when I needed help," Hiccup said with a roll of his eyes. Snowfire only let out a huff of smoke in annoyance.

"Not to mention he also helped design that leg of yours," I added with a grin.

Gobber had done a lot of helpful things in the past. It was just hard to point them out at the moment.

...

The others didn't get back until hours later. Hiccup and I had spent that time discussing what to do about our problem with Gobber. All that mattered right now was making sure that Gobber actually had a future on the island. And so far we hadn't come up with anything, other than a few sparse ideas that would likely fail in the end.

"What's wrong with you guys?" Hiccup asked when he noticed that Astrid and the others were hunched over in pain.

"We've been riding our dragons for hours," Astrid complained while rubbing her butt. "It took us hours to chase them down after Gobber scared them away." She glared at Stormfly, who made a rolling motion with her wings as if annoyed with Astrid's glare.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Hiccup apologized. "I just don't know what to do with him. We've been trying to come up with ideas." He then turned to Ruffnut, who was much to my amusement kicking her brother's butt. "Do you guys always have to fight?" he asked after crossing his arms.

"It's okay, I asked her to do that," Tuffnut replied. Ruffnut kicked him again as he groaned in pain. "I was trying to get the feeling back."

"You going to return the favor?" Ruffnut demanded as she leaned forward. Tuffnut stood up and started kicking her butt afterwords.

"I've flown for hours on Toothless. I've never had this problem," Hiccup said with a shrug.

"That's because you and Alex have saddles," Astrid pointed out.

She looked pointedly at Snowfire's saddle. Truth be told it had taken a lot of convincing for me to put that saddle on. She wouldn't imagine the fuss Snowfire had put up when I told her about it. But in the end I won the argument.

"Wait a minute, saddles!" Hiccup perked up almost instantly after shouting that.

"What, are we playing the random word game?" I asked with a grin. Hiccup just rolled his eyes once again.

"Come on, I know this will work," he said while grabbing my arm. I didn't miss the look Astrid gave me as we walked away. My blush was undisguised, but luckily no one seemed to notice.

Snowfire was quick to follow along with Toothless close behind her. It was already late in the afternoon when we reached the forge. I hadn't noticed that Gobber had most of his weapons stacked outside the forge, as if he was hoping that just about anyone would take them.

"Wait out here," I told Snowfire when we went inside.

'_Hopefully this plan will actually work_,' she grumbled.

"It will," Hiccup reassured us both. "It has to."

"Saddles?" Gobber repeated when Hiccup relayed his ideas. "I love it!" He eyed the blueprints that Hiccup had gathered before heading for the forge. "I've got tons of ideas," he added after grinning like a kid in the candy shop. "But not these. Good ones." He tossed the blueprints aside and knocked his hook for a hand on his forehead.

"We're glad you're excited," I said as Hiccup picked up the sketches.

"But I think there are some designs here that you could use," Hiccup put in.

"Ya know, it's cute how you two finish each others sentences," Gobber suddenly said with a grin. Both Hiccup and I turned away from each other once he said that. I didn't miss the fact that Hiccup had blushed as well. "I'll do what Gobber does best. I've been making saddles since before you two were in diapers. In fact, I made your diapers."

I desperately wanted to point out that he had never made diapers for me. But I kept my mouth shut, knowing full well the looks that would get me.

"I know, you know what you're doing, but keep in mind, every dragon is different," Hiccup warned him. "So you need to adjust—"

"Hiccup, I may have taught you everything I know," Gobber said while poking Hiccup in the stomach, "But I haven't taught you everything I know."

The two of us headed out of the forge, and it wasn't long before Gobber started working on the saddles. That was when Gobber started singing a tune I'd never heard of.

"_I've got me axe and I've got me mace,_

_And I love me wife with an ugly face,_

_I'm a Viking through and through_!"

"You know, he doesn't usually sing that song unless he's very happy," Hiccup said. "I think we did a good thing."

"Let's hope this doesn't backfire on you," I murmured.

"So uh, what Gobber said back at the forge…." Hiccup paused as Toothless crooned in confusion. I couldn't help but look away as embarrassment washed over me.

"Yeah, what about that?" I suddenly wished that a hole would open up and swallow me. There were some things I never wanted to talk about, and this was one of them.

"Uh, never mind." Hiccup rubbed the back of his head when he realized where this was going. "I should probably get back and let dad know about this," he added. I quickly nodded in agreement, holding back a sigh of relief once he and Toothless had wandered off.

'_You really should tell that hatchling how you feel_,' Snowfire's voice suddenly cut in. I rolled my eyes and rubbed her muzzle, careful not to draw any unwanted attention.

"Snow, you have no idea how difficult this is," I murmured. "I promised myself I wouldn't get in the way. And maybe it's time I keep that promise." Snowfire nudged my hand in annoyance when she saw where this was going.

'_Leaving now would only make things worse_,' she warned me.

I looked at her warily when she said that. Somehow I knew that she was right. Yet I couldn't help but wonder whether or not staying was a good idea.

"Alright, I'll stay, but only for a few more days." I let out a sigh and tried to hide the emotions bubbling up within me. This was not going to be easy.

...

It was early the next day when we found ourselves back at the arena. Snowfire was curled up in the sunlight trying to keep herself warm, despite the fact that she could regulate the temperature around her. She apparently liked keeping things natural when she could.

"Okay, this is an exciting day for all of us," Hiccup began as the other teens looked at him in confusion. Their dragons stayed in the background, keeping a distance from Snowfire and Toothless. For some reason Snowfire had only gotten along with Toothless of all the dragons on Berk, other than Spikes. "Gobber has been working hard to—"

"I think they might wanna hear it from the artist himself!" Gobber suddenly spoke up. "I've made a lot of saddles in my day. Horse, donkey, and now, dragons. But these saddles are different. They're like my children; that is if you strap a child to a flaming reptile, which is something I would never do!"

'_Interesting choice of words, human_,' Snowfire said. Gobber just smirked at her before looking back at us.

"So, without further ado…." Gobber paused so that he could pull off the blanket covering whatever was hidden underneath. Several saddles were revealed, each of them unique and… interesting looking. Hiccup scratched the back of his head as he eyed them curiously.

"Wow, Gobber, this is certainly… not what I was expecting," he replied.

"How could it be? I'm Gobber!" Gobber exclaimed before tapping his forehead. "No one knows what's going on in here."

I think that's probably a good thing. And an even better thing I didn't say that out loud.

"Um, is that…." I paused when I eyed the device on one of the saddles. I'd only seen them once or twice in person, and believe me when I say they are not fun to mess with. Unless you're in a field where no one is watching.

"A flamethrower!" Gobber finished for me. He showed off what the flamethrower could do before shutting it off. "Didn't see that coming now did ya?"

"Um, not for dragons," Hiccup told him. "They come with one built in actually."

'_And they work just fine_,' Snowfire added with a huff of smoke. Gobber coughed and tried shaking the smoke out of his way. Snowfire only narrowed her eyes in annoyance before returning to her spot.

"I know, but you can never have too much fire power," Gobber insisted.

I watched with my arms folded as the twins put saddles on Barf and Belch's two necks. Then they loaded the catapults on the saddles before firing them. I tried not to laugh when the catapults ended up hitting Barf and Belch's heads, knocking them out in an instant.

"Catapults for the twins, not a good idea," I said with a shake of my head.

"You can do it girl. Think light," Fishlegs tried helping Meatlug out, but the saddle was too heavy for her. It was a miracle she could fly at all. But her saddle had heavy maces on it, strapped on either side. Meatlug was only able to get up a foot in the air before dropping to the ground due to the extra weight.

"Oh come on!" Gobber exclaimed once more. "You can't tell me the saddle is heavier than Fishlegs." I couldn't help but smirk at that.

"My mom says I'm just husky," Fishlegs replied with a frown.

Snotlout was trying to put a saddle on Hookfang. But the Monstrous Nightmare just shook it off and roared in defiance.

"Oh come on Hookfang, what is wrong with you?" he demanded. He tried petting Hookfang, but the dragon only turned away, growling in annoyance. "Okay, that's it. Someone's trading with me!" Snotlout looked at Snowfire hopefully, who just responded with a hiss.

'_Try it, and you will lose your legs_,' she snapped. Snotlout's only response was a whimper as he backed away. Then he turned towards the twins, a hopeful look in his eyes.

"Like I would trade my perfectly trained dragon, for your untamed one," Tuffnut retorted.

Astrid had landed Stormfly near Hiccup after testing out her new saddle. "This saddle is actually pretty good," she said, sounding impressed.

"Wait until you try the horn," Gobber told her.

She looked at him skeptically before trying out the horn. I tried to cover my ears as it got too loud. Even Stormfly didn't like it; she shot several spikes from her tail, which ended up pinning Snotlout to the wall.

"Really?" Snotlout demanded while trying to pry himself off. "Again?"

"So anyways, I think we're going to need a few—" Hiccup was cut off once again by Gobber.

"Changes! I'm way ahead of you," he started. "I've got so many new ideas. It's getting crowded up here."

By now I was struggling not to laugh. Hiccup had to elbow me in order to keep me from laughing out loud. Hopefully Gobber knew what he was getting himself into.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So there's the next chapter :P I always love adding extra humor into stories when I can. And chapter 19 is probably going to be my longest one yet. Just a warning to my readers. And yes, I am already working on chapter 19 :P<strong>

**silverwolvesarecool - I actually do too :) For some reason I just like the change though. And I'll have to check it out when I get the chance; I've been rather busy lately with concerts, volunteering and whatnot.**

**69579 - Thanks, and sorry ^^ Actually a description would be pretty cool. I have all of my character descriptions on my profile, but I also keep a notebook to ensure I don't forget what they look like :)**


	18. The New Dragon Dentist

**Chapter Eighteen**

We spent most of the evening cleaning up the mess Gobber had made. Apparently Gobber didn't know very much about making saddles for dragons. The arena was left in shambles after he had gone to work on other saddles. Which left us with finishing his work.

Hiccup looked at Toothless, who was laying nearby on the ground. With a snap of his finger the Night Fury grumbled in annoyance and walked away, standing next to Snowfire once more. I was always amazed at how similar the two looked. Snowfire was just twice his size and had an arrow-shaped tail. And was pure white, aside from the gray mixed in to her wings.

"By Odin!" Stoick gasped as he entered the arena. "This place looked better when we were killing dragons!"

"Yeah, we sort of got 'Gobber-ed'," Hiccup explained.

"That's putting it lightly," I muttered under my breath.

"You know Gobber," Stoick began. "He means well, he just doesn't always do well." I continued sweeping, pushing past Snowfire as she got up to give me space. "So what are you going to do about him?"

"I'm going to clean up his mess and redo his work," Hiccup replied.

"Look, Gobber's like family—" Stoick started, but Hiccup cut him off.

"Yeah, I know he is," he began after dropping his broom. "That's why I can't say anything to him!"

'_Why do you not just tell him the truth_?' Snowfire asked. Hiccup was ready to reply when Stoick stopped him. She did have a good point there, though I would never say that out loud.

"No son, that's why you have to tell him," Stoick said. To my surprise his voice was gentle. I was so used to hearing him shout or sound aggravated. "It's not fair for you, and it's not fair for Gobber."

"Why do I have to say something to him?" Hiccup wined. "You didn't! You just passed him on to me!"

"That's what a chief does. He delegates. Look, I gave you this academy because it's the best thing for Berk. Now you have to do what's best for the academy, and I'm sorry, son, but what's best isn't always easy." Stoick placed a hand on his shoulder before leading us both away. I hadn't even noticed until now that Snotlout was still pinned to the wall by Stormfly's spikes, snoring away. "What's with him?" he asked.

"Leave him; he's going for his personal best," I replied with a smirk.

"Enough said."

It didn't take us long to reach the forge. Gobber was already working on his next line of saddles, happily humming away. I had promised Hiccup that I would stay with him when he told Gobber the bad news. But now I was starting to regret that decision.

I hated feeling guilty. Especially when I knew it was mostly my fault. Though right now it wasn't my fault for what Gobber had gotten himself into. I just wasn't sure why it left me feeling so guilty. Maybe because Hiccup and I had become good friends over the year. Either reason, I wasn't looking forward to this.

"Hey, you never know," Hiccup started before we got inside, "maybe Gobber finally looked at the plans and is making the saddles better." Even I could hear the false hope in his voice. There were some things that couldn't be changed. And I had a feeling Gobber was one of them. Gobber was busy working on a saddle when we walked inside. "Gobber?"

Gobber suddenly turned to face us, holding a crossbow pointed in our direction. "Don't shoot!" I cried while Hiccup held his hands up in self defense. Gobber only smirked in response.

"Oh I wouldn't shoot you two," he said with a shake of his head. "Unless I absolutely had to." That alone was enough to make me feel uneasy. Hiccup just sighed in frustration as Gobber turned back to his work desk.

"Yeah, could you please just put the crossbow down; I know we'd both feel better," Hiccup told him as I nodded in agreement. Gobber sighed and put the crossbow down.

"Ya know, about the weapons; maybe the catapults were a bit too much for the dragons yesterday," Gobber began while walking over to the table. "So I've gone a different way. I've gotten rid of the two big ones—" Hiccup stopped him before he could continue with his big plans.

"Gobber, that's great," he said with a smile.

"— and replace them with bigger ones!" Gobber suddenly cut in. He held up a smaller version of the catapult, with six spoon-like ends.

"Uh, yeah…." Hiccup paused and exchanged a sad look with me. I think it's best he get the news now before he makes things worse. "Gobber, we need to talk," he began after letting out a sigh. "I think it might be time for you to take a little break."

"In case you haven't noticed, the only time a Viking takes a break is to die," Gobber reminded him.

Ouch. I couldn't imagine what that must be like.

"I think what he means is, he isn't sure if things are working out," I said in a gentle tone. Hopefully that would help. Though judging by the look Gobber gave me, it didn't.

"Well, get back to me when you're sure than," Gobber said.

"Okay, I'm sure," Hiccup said before taking a deep breath. "Gobber, I'm going to need to take you off of the saddle project."

Gobber stopped his work and looked at Hiccup in disbelief. "Are you trying to get rid of me?" he asked. "Now I can see why you had me put down the crossbow."

"It's just the saddles," I reminded him. "I'm sure we could find something else for you."

I glanced at Hiccup doubtfully. He just shrugged in response, still not sure what to do.

"I don't need your pity," Gobber told us. "I've already lost an arm and a leg. I think Ill survive losing a job."

"I'm really sorry, Gobber." Hiccup placed a hand on Gobber's shoulder before we both left. Now I felt even worse than before when Gobber started tearing up. He tried hiding his sadness by looking away. "That was awful," Hiccup added as we walked away from the forge.

'_He will recover_,' Snowfire reassured him. I patted her on the shoulder as she took off towards my house.

"Look, I'm sure we'll find something for Gobber to do," I murmured thoughtfully. "It just takes time to find their rightful place." That was when we heard the villagers shouting in panic. "What the heck was that?" I asked, careful not to swear.

Apparently Vikings didn't know very much about swear words, and I was in no hurry to teach it to them. Only reason I've used them is when I'm angry or nervous. And lately I hadn't been swearing. I think it comes with the territory.

"We're about to find out," Hiccup said as the villagers ran towards us. Snotlout started running after the group, a panicked look on his face as he ran behind me. He was gasping for breath before finally explaining the situation as quickly as he could.

"I never… thought… I'd say this… but Hiccup, Alex…." He panted and started to shake Hiccup by the shoulders when Hookfang rounded the corner. My eyes widened when I realized that Hookfang was on a rampage. "**Help**!"

Hookfang started firing blasts at the plaza, roaring in anger as he charged at whoever was unfortunate enough to be in his way. The people who were around started running as far away as possible, screaming and shouting in fear.

"Everyone, back away!" Stoick ordered. "The dragon is out of control; it's not safe here."

The three of us started running towards Hookfang after Snotlout finally caught his breath. "I don't know what came over him," Snotlout cried. "I was just rubbing his head. He usually loves that! But then he went all crazy!" He let out a whimper as Hookfang turned and glared at him. "My dragon hates me."

"Snotlout, as much as I'd love to say that's true," I started as the others quickly joined us, "I highly doubt that's the case." Snotlout gave me a look of confusion before realizing what I had said.

"What do you mean 'you'd love to say that's true?'" he demanded.

"They do say that a dragon starts to take after his owner," Fishlegs suggested while eying Snotlout. "I think that's what's happening here."

"Hey!" Snotlout shouted while elbowing Fishlegs in the stomach.

"I rest my case," Fishlegs groaned after wincing in pain.

Hiccup tilted his head a little as he slowly made his way towards Hookfang. "How long has it been since he ate?" he suddenly asked.

"Not for days," Snotlout replied. Hiccup grabbed a fish and held up.

"Hey boy, you hungry?" he asked in a gentle voice.

Hookfang sniffed the fish curiously as Hiccup threw it at him. The Nightmare caught the fish with ease, than quickly spit it out. I tried not to laugh when the fish landed on Stoick's beard. It seemed oddly fitting that should happen to Stoick of all people.

"Sorry, dad," Hiccup apologized.

"We've got to bring this dragon under control," Stoick said while tossing the fish aside. Toothless was quick to snatch it up before anyone else could.

"Don't worry, I can do this," Hiccup reassured him. "There you go, it's going to be okay." He reached out for Hookfang, but the Monstrous Nightmare only lashed out at him. I managed to pry him away just in time as Hookfang snapped his jaws where his hand had been seconds ago.

Toothless let out a growl and lunged at Hookfang, knocking him aside when Hookfang started charging after us. Once Hookfang managed to separate from Toothless, he shot a fireball towards one of the homes, which immediately caught on fire.

"Toothless, stop!" Hiccup shouted. Toothless stopped in his tracks when he realized what he was about to do. We were both staring at the scene in horror as Vikings tried putting out the fire. Snowfire had heard the commotion long before it started. She managed to drop in just in time and fired ice at the burning home; seconds later the flames were doused.

"I've seen enough, Hiccup," Stoick said after helping us up. "I'm sorry, we tried it your way."

'_No amount of fighting can stop this stupid beast_,' Snowfire hissed as Hookfang rounded on us. She managed to block his view, pinning him down by freezing the ground underneath his claws. '_Stop acting like a hatchling_!' she screeched at Hookfang.

Amazingly Hookfang was intimidated by her larger appearance. The air around us had suddenly gotten colder, if that was even possible. Finally Hookfang dropped his gaze and headed for the further part of the plaza.

"Come on guys, hurry up and think," Hiccup began as Hookfang started setting other homes on fire. "What haven't we tried?"

"How 'bout knocking him out?" I suggested.

"Snotlout, you have an idea?" Hiccup turned to Snotlout, whose eyes had widened with worry.

"Gobber!" he shouted, pointing towards the man in question. I couldn't help but wince when I noticed he had taken his dragon killing weapon's rack with him.

"Stand back," Gobber told us. "I came here to do what I do best."

"He's here to kill my dragon!" Snotlout realized. I don't think I've ever seen him looking so distraught.

"No, he's not," Hiccup reassured him.

"Uh, yeah he is," Tuffnut muttered with a nod.

"You don't use that stuff to butter toast," Ruffnut agreed with her brother, for once.

"Well, I mean we would, but you wouldn't," Tuffnut put in with a shrug.

"Dad, you can't be serious!" Hiccup said as he grabbed Stoick by the arm. I found it funny how his hand barely wrapped around Stoick's arm. I wasn't sure why it was those quirky little things that got my attention.

"Hookfang _is_ Snotlout's dragon," I added. Which would explain a lot.

"I'm sorry you two, but sometimes you got to fall back on the old ways," Gobber told us.

"But as stubborn as he is, he's still a good dragon," I pointed out.

"Yeah, he's a good dragon!" Snotlout cried. I noticed that he actually really did look like he was going to cry. His eyes grew round with horror as Gobber shook his head.

"There's probably just something wrong with him," Hiccup said.

"There's definitely something wrong with him!" Snotlout shouted in agreement.

"There has to be something we can do," I added.

'_Anything would be better than what he is doing now_,' Snowfire agreed with us. By now she had crawled over to my side, growling in annoyance as Hookfang roared defiantly.

"We can't get rid of him just because he's having a bad day," Hiccup said.

"A bad day for a dragon could be disaster for us," Stoick warned us. "That's not a risk I'm willing to take." Stoick looked down at Gobber before giving him a nod to go on. "Gobber!"

Gobber nodded before stepping towards Hookfang, a determined look on his face. He threw the bolas at Hookfang, tying the dragon's wrings together and knocking him to the ground. Hookfang tried throwing another blast of fire, but only ended up coughing up a tiny flame.

"Ha! You're all out," Gobber said with a grin. He drew his sword and aimed it at Hookfang before stopping himself. Hiccup ran over to Gobber and tried stopping him from killing Hookfang.

"I can't let you do this," he insisted.

"There's no choice, it has to be done," Gobber snapped while prying away his arm.

Hookfang was about to set himself on fire and free himself from the bolas when he took a defensive position. When he roared we all noticed something caught in his teeth. "Do you see that?" Gobber had noticed it as well.

"I do," Hiccup realized.

As Hookfang drew back, Gobber narrowed his eyes and placed the sword back in it's sheathe. "Time to put this beast out of it's misery."

"Hiccup, what are you doing?" Astrid demanded as she took a step forward. All I could do was place a hand on her shoulder and stop her. We both knew what Gobber was about to do, whether or not everyone else was aware of that, it didn't matter.

Tuffnut had looked away as Gobber approached a growling Hookfang, earning a punch in the arm from his sister. Snotlout whimpered in surprise when he realized what Gobber was doing. Gobber meanwhile let out a yell before charging after Hookfang and wrapping his arms around the dragon's neck. Hookfang tried shaking Gobber off, only to find the Viking latched on as he tried prying whatever was wedged between Hookfang's teeth. Once Hookfang had managed to shake Gobber off, he grinned triumphantly.

"You didn't kill him!" Snotlout exclaimed while grinning with happiness.

"For a toothache?" Gobber asked skeptically. He showed off the tooth in question, which was rotten from the bottom. "What kind of lunatic are you?"

Ouch, I could see why Hookfang was so pissed off. I hated toothaches as much as dragons did. Luckily I've never had a cavity once. And I planned on keeping it that way.

Hookfang rubbed his mouth on the ground before running around like a carefree dragon. He suddenly jumped after Snotlout and pushed him to the ground. I tried not to smirk as Snotlout laughed and tickled Hookfang's snout. "Stop it!" he laughed once again and shoved Hookfang away. "I don't know where that came from," he started while trying to act all tough again. "Can you train that out of him or…." Snotlout stopped as Hookfang and the others rolled their eyes.

"Thanks Gobber," Hiccup said as we approached him. "A bad tooth; I can't believe we didn't think about that!"

"That's because you're not Gobber," he pointed out. "I've learned about more dragons than most men will ever know! Anyway, better put the girls away." He patted his rack of weapons before pulling them away from the plaza.

I exchanged a look with Hiccup. He did have a good point there. And he had shown that he was capable of doing more than just make weapons.

"Not so fast," Hiccup stopped him by grabbing him by the arm. Gobber turned and looked at us with a look of confusion.

...

'_The human has found his place once more_,' Snowfire hummed as she nudged my elbow. I nodded in agreement when Spikes suddenly climbed on to my shoulder. Gobber had cleaned out his teeth when he started acting oddly. Turned out that Spikes had a loose tooth that needed taking care of.

"Yeah, I'm glad that was taken care of," I added after rubbing Spike's chin affectionately. He crooned in happiness before jumping off to play with the other Terrible Terrors.

I eyed the sign we put above Gobber's old forge. It was a large wooden tooth Hiccup had finished overnight. Gobber was now the official dragon dentist. To make it even more official there was a ceremony held earlier this morning in honor of his new job.

Hookfang had been more than happy to have his teeth looked at once more, just in case. Then the twins had Barf and Belch looked after later that day. In all our decision to make Gobber a dentist had been successful. He was even singing his famous song when we had walked by earlier.

'_And perhaps you have truly found your place_.' Snowfire's words caught me off guard. I looked at her in surprise before rubbing my arm up and down in embarrassment.

"And what would my place be?" I asked warily. Fortunately no one was around to listen. I preferred spending my afternoons alone when I could. It gave me a chance to relax and recall my time back in my old world.

'_You belong with dragons_,' she replied.

I looked at her skeptically before deciding to drop the subject. I wasn't sure if she was joking or if she was telling the truth. But either way it left me feeling even more uncomfortable. Dragons had been my favorite mythical creature, and still are. Maybe she was right when she said that I belonged with dragons.

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><p><strong>AN: Since tomorrow's chapter will be so long, I decided to post this early :) Also wanted to thank everyone for favoriting and reviewing this story so far. You guys are amazing!<strong>

**69579 - Thanks again for reviewing :)**

**silverwolvesareawesome - Hehe, yep :P And thanks, I appreciate your review :)**


	19. Animal House

**Chapter Nineteen**

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><p>"<em>Oh, I am the difference maker, Oh, I am the only one who speaks to him, And I am the friendliest of friends of God...<em>" Difference Maker, NEEDTOBREATHE

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><p>According to legend dragons and Vikings had been at war for nearly three hundred years. But one day the Vikings decided to make a pact with the dragons, after we had killed the Red Death. Now the dragons were living with us.<p>

Unfortunately no one had told the animals about our little peace treaty. Life had been peaceful for the animals… until one day the dragons were suddenly allowed to live among them. The animals were terrified now as the dragons acted, well, like dragons. And that fear would lead to future problems, as it would seem.

On the farm a Deadly Nadder and Monstrous Nightmare shrieked at each other. It was obvious they were playing, but the animals didn't see it that way. They chose to play near the sheep pen, and the sheep were scurrying away trying to stay out of the crossfire.

"Oh, not again!" Mulch huffed with Bucket close behind. "You, go now! You get… get, shoo!" Both he and Bucket managed to chase away the dragons fighting each. "You know you're not supposed to be here."

"Alright everybody, time to earn your keep," Mulch said cheerfully. He settled down beside the yak in order to milk it. Meanwhile Bucket went over to the chicken coop to fetch the eggs. But when he tried lifting one of the hens, he found there were no eggs and got confused.

"Chickens lay eggs, right?" he asked hesitantly.

"Do we really need to go over this again?" he asked with a sigh.

"No," Bucket said slowly. Than he turned to the sheep and lifted it in confusion.

"Apparently we do," Mulch muttered with a shake of his head. "Now listen carefully. Wool." He pointed to the sheep. "Eggs," he said while pointing towards the chicken coop. "And milk." Again he pointed towards the yak. "That wasn't so hard now, was it?"

Bucket cocked his head in confusion, and Mulch let out another sigh. "Observe," he said while sitting back down on the stool. "You grab the udder like so, and pull." He pulled the yak's udder but nothing came out. "Pull," Mulch said again while pulling the udder again. "Pull!" The yak suddenly kicked him in the stomach when he pulled too hard. "Uh oh, I think we're empty!" Mulch exclaimed after recovering. "That's not good."

...

Snowfire flew low to the ground, narrowly avoiding Toothless as Hiccup tried to keep up. I tried not to laugh at Hiccup's expression when Snowfire only flew faster. She was known for her speed and fiery attitude. Two things never to mess with when it came to White Terrors.

The mountain we were flying over was covered in snow. With the colder winter approaching, everyone was preparing for the worst. This was just our way of winding down and relaxing. Snowfire had gotten tired of everyone in the village running around in a rush.

Suddenly Toothless managed to streak ahead as Snowfire had slowed down a little. The smirk on Hiccup's face was priceless as they swerved past us.

'_I will not give them the satisfaction of winning_,' Snowfire pouted.

"What did you have in mind?" I asked with a grin. Snowfire hummed in amusement before twirling in mid-flight. I held back a shout of surprise as she fired two blasts at Toothless, giving him enough of a distraction to fall behind.

"Hey! Alex!"

"Oops, did we do that?" I looked over my shoulder, feigning innocence before Snowfire flew ahead. Toothless narrowed his eyes before flying faster to catch up.

"Hey!" I tried not to laugh as Toothless flared a wing, blocking our path. Snowfire let out a growl of irritation as Hiccup smirked triumphantly. When Toothless finally dropped his wing I realized too late we were headed for a snow-covered tree. Snowfire ducked just in time to avoid hitting the branch. "So, it's gonna be like that, huh?"

'_I have a few tricks up my wing_,' Snowfire warned me.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Hiccup replied in a calm voice. Even I could hear the laughter in his voice. Snowfire simply rolled her eyes and let out a huff of smoke as we flew into the cloud.

Without warning Snowfire suddenly fired another plasma blast, similar to the one that Toothless used. Only hers was white, and hot enough to melt rocks. She managed to dislodge a pile of snow as it flew everywhere, making Toothless swerve left and right. He spun around like toy top before managing to regain his footing, only to watch us fly ahead.

"Hey!" Hiccup yelled.

"It was her idea, but I approve," I said while patting her on the neck. "Nice work back there," I added in a whisper.

'_Anything to win_,' she replied.

That was when I heard an odd sound from behind us. I turned around just in time to see a huge pile of snow crashing down on us at full speed. My heart started racing when I realized it was an avalanche. It seemed all the fuss we'd created back there had started one.

"Alex!" I didn't need to look twice to notice that Toothless was struggling to fly. Snowfire was quick to fly down and offer help, but by the time we reached them it was too late. I held out a hand, desperate to get us both out of this situation before the snow piled over us. I'd heard enough stories in my world of people dying from avalanches to know they were dangerous.

'_There is no time_,' Snowfire suddenly cried as the snow advanced towards us. I glanced over just in time to see the snow piling down on us. Forcing back a scream I held on to Snowfire for dear life as the snow forced us down the cliff.

The darkness that followed sent shivers of fear through me. It wasn't just the cold that had terrified me. It was the fact that we were trapped under a thick layer of snow that horrified me. I've never lived in a world of snow until a year ago. Living in sunny Florida had taken away that opportunity.

"A-Alex?" Hiccup's voice was shaken as he tried seeing in the dark.

"Over here," I replied while trying to keep warm. "I'm freezing." I hadn't realized until now that my teeth were clattering.

"Come here," Hiccup said without hesitation. I didn't bother thinking of the risks as I crawled over to him. It was too dark and too cold to see or do anything else at this point. To my surprise Hiccup wrapped his arms around me, and I wasted no time in doing the same. "Where are the dragons?" he asked warily.

For the record I have never been this close to any guy in my life. Not even my dad had given the chance to hug me or treat me like a daughter. And inside my mind was screaming to get away. All that kept me from running was the fact that I was freezing.

'_We are here_,' came Snowfire's response. '_A little shaken, but we are fine_.'

As if to prove her point, Toothless fired a plasma blast on to the snow cave's roof. Another flash of light told me that Snowfire had shot a blast as well. "Toothless?" Hiccup asked as the Night Fury continued firing plasma blasts.

A few more blasts of fire were shot at the roof, and suddenly a dim ray of sunlight began to peak through the hole they'd formed. When our eyes adjusted we found ourselves trapped in a dome of snow. I looked up in surprise to see that Snowfire and Toothless were using their wings to create a barrier, which had stopped the snow from crushing us. Their fire blasts were enough to reveal an opening on the roof above us, letting in just enough sunlight for us to see.

"Dragons never cease to amaze me," I whispered in awe.

"Yeah," Hiccup nodded in agreement. "I think we're going to be okay."

'_Of course you are, hatchlings_,' Snowfire said with a roll of her eyes. Than she looked at us and smirked.

I hadn't realized until than that we were still clinging on to each other. Hiccup made a coughing sound before backing away, ruffling the back of his hair in embarrassment. I tried to hide my blush by looking at Snowfire. Toothless was crooning in amusement when he caught sight of Hiccup's blush.

"So, w-we're good now?" Hiccup asked awkwardly.

"Y-yeah, good as new!" I replied, feeling equally uncomfortable. Snowfire only rolled her eyes when she saw what we were doing.

'_Why can you hatchlings not admit your feelings_?' she asked in a voice full of annoyance.

We both looked at her in disbelief before scooting further away from each other. Leave it to Snowfire to make an awkward situation even worse.

...

Thankfully it hadn't taken us long to get out of the snow cave. With the help of Snowfire we had managed to crawl out just as it started getting colder. Snowfire had also managed to melt the ice covering Toothless' tale fin before we took off.

In all I was grateful to be out of that awkward situation. We hadn't spoken much since than, and rightfully so. But once we had gathered the other teens where the abandoned catapults were, we started telling them what had happened.

"…. And then the dragons used their wings to block the snow," Hiccup was finishing retelling the story. Everyone stared at us with wide eyes.

"I've never seen anything like that," Fishlegs said with a curious gaze. "Not even in the Book of Dragons."

"I'd say this is definitely something we have to add in," I murmured. All the while I had kept quiet, thinking of what Snowfire had said.

'_Did you think we would let you die_?' she suddenly asked. She was laying down behind me, head resting on a boulder until I had said that. All of us looked at her in surprise before Astrid finally spoke up.

"It's incredible!" she exclaimed, unable to hide her excitement, "it's as if their protective instincts kicked in!" Snowfire only snorted and let out a huff of smoke into Astrid's face. I tried not to laugh, since Astrid had been sitting closer to her she stared at Snowfire in utter shock.

"Who'd believe it?" asked Hiccup. "The dragons we fought for hundreds of years, were protecting us." He eyed Snowfire curiously as she locked gazes with him.

'_Our loyalty is to our rider, and our rider only_,' she told him. '_We would die for them, if given the choice_.' This time it was my turn to look away when she said that. It was amazing what dragons could do. All this time we were still learning about their skills and abilities, and their behavior.

"Yeah, if it wasn't for them we would have frozen to death," I put in.

"You know, you could have used your own bodies to keep yourselves warm," Fishlegs told me.

Hiccup and I looked at each other, and I didn't realize until now that we were both blushing like red tomatoes. Snowfire hummed in amusement as we scooted further away.

"Who would do that?" Hiccup asked nervously.

"Yeah, that's crazy talk," I added while trying to hide my blush.

"Hey Alex, if you're still cold…." Snotlout started while holding out his arms. I only rolled my eyes and hit the catapult that was covered in snow. Snotlout, whose lips were still formed for a kiss, made a noise of surprise when the snow covered him. "Hey!" he protested in a muffled voice.

"Hey Hiccup, Alex," a new voice greeted us. We both turned in time to see that the twins had finally joined us. "Your dad is looking for you," Tuffnut announced.

"Stoick looked pretty angry," Ruffnut put in.

"My father's looked like that since the day I was born," Hiccup explained as he got on Toothless. I was quick to get on Snowfire as she crouched down. "But I'm sure there is no connection."

"Let's just hope it's nothing serious," I muttered under my breath.

"Knowing my dad it's always serious," he said with a smirk.

To which I just rolled my eyes again as we took off. It didn't take us long to reach Hiccup's house. Snowfire had to wait outside, much to her annoyance when Toothless was allowed inside. Toothless was more than happy to jump on his stone slab, which was covered in a pile of fish.

I gave a faint nod to Stoick as he stood up when we got inside. It wasn't surprising to see Gobber was sitting next to him. Those two had been good friends since childhood.

"With a bad storm coming, we could be locked in," Stoick began explaining the situation. "We might not be able to hunt or fish for months." I didn't miss the worry in his voice. Clearly they had gone through something far worse in the past.

"It's too early for a storm," Hiccup pointed out. "We're in the middle of winter. Devastating winter isn't due for a whole other month."

"Not according to Gothi," Stoick replied.

"What should we do about it? We can't control the weather!" Hiccup reminded him.

"And why exactly am I here, sir?" I added. It's not like I've done anything useful over the past few days.

"No, but you can control dragons," Stoick said to Hiccup. "And your connection with Snowfire could help."

"How can my connection with Snowfire help?" I folded my arms and eyed Stoick skeptically.

"You could communicate with the dragons through her," Gobber suggested with a shrug. I could already imagine the response I would get had I asked for Snowfire's help. True she had saved me, but I doubted she would help with simple things like this.

That was when Mulch and Bucket decided to step inside. I tried not to laugh when Bucket was holding on to his… well, bucket. Mulch held up a pale and handed it to Stoick, who shook the pale, only to find that it was empty.

"Any luck?" Stoick asked hopefully.

"Nothing," Mulch replied in a sad voice. "And that was after yanking at the poor yak for three hours."

Everyone than turned to look at us hopefully. "But it's not like the dragons are trying to be scary," Hiccup explained while patting Toothless' head. "I mean, they don't even eat farm animals. They eat fish."

"True," Gobber said with a nod of agreement, "but they're huge, breath fire, and ever since we've made peace with them they're everywhere. The animals are terrified of them!"

"This is where you come in and say, 'I'll fix this.'" Stoick turned and looked down at his son.

"Okay, but how much time do we have before the storm hits?" Hiccup asked.

"About a week," Mulch replied.

"No problem, that's more than enough time," I said with a shrug.

Suddenly Bucket started moaning in pain as he grabbed hold of his bucket-head. Mulch looked at him in concern before shaking his head. "Correction," he sighed. "Make that three days, and six hours top."

"Okay, less time might be more of a problem," Hiccup muttered.

...

Three days had passed and we still hadn't made any progress with the animals. It was a race against time getting the animals to understand that dragons were not a threat. Unfortunately it didn't help that the dragons weren't making any effort at all. Just the other day Hookfang had tried attacking the nearest sheep, causing it to faint on the spot.

"Come on big boy, you can do it!" Hiccup and Astrid were trying to pull an unfortunate yak towards a Deadly Nadder and Monstrous Nightmare. The two dragons looked unimpressed with the sight. "You'll really like them if you get to know them," he added when the yak struggled to free itself.

"The dragons look scary, but they're really just big scaly reptiles!" Astrid put in.

"Just like Snotlout," Tuffnut said with a smirk. Snotlout picked him up by the scruff of his neck, a scowl written across his face as he glared.

"You're the guy, right?" he asked after narrowing his eyes in confusion.

"Uh, no," Tuffnut replied while making his voice more feminine.

'_Speak for yourself, hatchling_,' Snowfire suddenly cut in while glaring at Astrid. I couldn't help but smirk at the look Astrid gave her.

The Deadly Nadder and Monstrous Nightmare started roaring at each other, causing the yak to suddenly turn and run away in fear. It finally made it to the other side of the arena, trembling at the sight of two dragons fighting each other.

"Seriously guys, you're just as bad as the twins," I muttered under my breath. The two dragons than stopped once they saw Snowfire. She had jumped into the middle of the fray, letting out an eerie shriek that made everyone shiver.

'_They will not be fighting any time soon_,' she huffed once she managed to get away.

"What the hell was that?" I asked.

'_A show of defiance_,' Snowfire replied. '_No dragon dares attack someone bigger than them_.'

"Okay, what if we look at this from an animal's perspective?" Fishlegs suggested. He dropped down to all fours and approached the dragons cautiously. "Oh hello, Mr. Dragon. I'm just a little sheep, walking around doing sheep things." The real sheep looked at Fishlegs sceptically as he started making sheep noises. "You know, he really doesn't seem all that big…" Fishlegs stopped when he looked at the Monstrous Nightmare. It suddenly let out a fierce roar, causing him to retreat as quickly as he could. "Sorry, but I'm siding with the animals on this one," he shouted after hiding underneath Meatlug.

"You're not helping, Fishlegs," I muttered under my breath.

"Look," Hiccup started after pinching the bridge of his nose. "I've learned that when you have a positive experience with something, it isn't so scary anymore."

"Yep," I agreed after folding my arms. "I used to terrified of flying until Snowfire proved it's not so bad."

"Why were you afraid of flying?" Astrid suddenly asked.

"It's… not exactly something I like talking about," I murmured, suddenly feeling uncomfortable again. "Let's just say that a lot of people died that day, more than I'd like to count." Astrid was ready to say something else when Hiccup shot her a look that caused her to stop.

"Okay boys," Hiccup said while trying to change the subject. "There you go, over here." He started herding the sheep closer to the dragons, forming the sheep in a line. "And that's what we'll do with the sheep. We have to prove to them there's nothing to be afraid."

I watched with amusement as the Monstrous Nightmare took one sniff of the sheep and sneezed. Moments later and one of the sheep's fur caught on fire.

"Oh, at this rate we'll never get any milk or eggs!" Hiccup sighed in annoyance as the animals started running around in terror. Snowfire was kind enough to put out the flaming sheep when it got too close.

"Maybe we could try working on the chickens next," I suggested.

"Another way for the animals to overcome their fear is to show that the dragons are afraid of things as well," Hiccup explained as the animals continued running.

"Remember Magnus the Merciless?" Astrid asked. Everyone but me shuddered almost involuntarily at the name. I'd have to ask Hiccup once this was over who that guy was. "He was a pretty scary guy. I was afraid of him until he, in turn, was afraid of the dark."

"During the day, merciless," Tuffnut began.

"And during the night, Tuffnut," Ruffnut finished with a smirk.

"Hey, that's a real problem!" her brother muttered while punching her in the arm.

"I'm just saying," Astrid went on with a shrug, "that knowing he was afraid of something made him less scary to me."

It was hard to believe Astrid of all people was afraid of someone at one point in her life. I guess there were still some things I needed to learn here.

"Exactly," Hiccup said while rooting around a basket for an eel. Of all the things a dragon was afraid of, for some reason it had to be an eel. Even Snowfire was afraid of them, and had shown obvious distaste towards them. "So let's show the yaks that dragons are afraid of things as well."

Almost at once the two started reacting violently. I watched with a smirk as the Monstrous Nightmare tried getting away, while the Deadly Nadder recoiled at the creature wriggling in Hiccup's hand.

The yak started realizing that maybe dragons weren't too bad after all. I didn't miss the fact that they were having a conversation.

"I think it's working," I whispered hopefully. That was when Hiccup dropped the eel. I mentally facepalmed as the eel started slithering at a rapid pace towards the dragons. The Monstrous Nightmare let out a roar and started panicking at the sight. It turned around and tried running away, swinging it's tail into one of the sheep in the process. I found it difficult not to laugh when the sheep was sent flying across the arena. "Don't worry," I murmured while placing a hand on Hiccup's shoulder. Things could be far worse.

"Worried?" Hiccup asked with a shrug. "I-I'm not worried! Do I look worried?" he demanded while turning to look at me.

At that moment all of the animals started running out of the arena. Everyone tried catching them while I managed to reach the Monstrous Nightmare and calmed it down. It was amusing to watch them try and wrestle with the yaks. But I knew that the animals were escaping, and that could only lead to disaster.

"It's just like being at the circus," I muttered as the Nightmare rubbed it's nose against my hand.

"You know what I'm learning from this?" Hiccup complained while holding up two hens. "Chickens are really, well, chicken."

'_They taste good as well_,' Snowfire added, earning a glare from Hiccup and me. She only hummed in amusement before stalking further away.

"What if we showed them how much they have in common?" Fishlegs asked in an excited tone. We all looked at him in confusion until he revealed what he was hiding behind his back. "They both lay eggs, right? A Terrible Terror laid one just last week!"

Fishlegs gently put the egg down and backed away as one of the hens approached it cautiously. The hen flapped her wings and started to show signs of comfort. "Alright, see?" Hiccup asked nervously. "An egg is an egg, right ladies?"

The egg suddenly exploded from underneath the hen, sending a shower of sparks and flames everywhere. The hen panicked and scurried away in a fluffy of feathers. By now I was struggling not to laugh, and everyone gave me strange looks.

"Until they explode," I said while trying to catch my breath. I don't know why I found it so damn funny. Animal abuse wasn't something I enjoyed, but this was more like a comedy show.

Unfortunately the chickens were making such a racket that it caused the other animals to panic as well. My eyes widened when I realized that the gate to the arena had opened. Mulch and Gobber had stepped in just in time for the wind to pick up.

"Everybody out!" Gobber shouted. "The storm's here!"

"Wait, we haven't made any progress with the animals," Hiccup protested.

Gobber picked up the nearest chicken with his hook, frowning as he looked at us all.

"Your father wants everyone in the Great Hall," he retorted.

"Take the others," Hiccup told him. "I need to stay here and keep working with the animals. They're still afraid!"

"You can't get eggs from a frozen chicken," Gobber insisted with a shake of his head. "We need to get the animals to the barn."

...

We walked on in silence, well, except for the animals. They kept making the noises an animal would make as the dragons flew ahead. Only Snowfire and Toothless kept close to make sure the animals didn't stray too far.

'_I do not like this_,' Snowfire suddenly crooned.

"What, the snow or us giving up so easily?" I asked in a whisper. I hated the idea of giving up, especially since we hadn't really made much progress at all. Why did the animals have to make this so difficult?

'_This weather makes it difficult to control the temperature around me_,' she explained. '_The colder it gets, the harder it is to control it_.'

Huh, I never really thought of what might happen under extreme weather conditions. I guess even White Terrors like Snowfire had their weaknesses. It was something else to add to the Book of Dragons. Lately I had been writing down all of the details I could find, but they were mostly in my journal. But this was something I could add to the book.

"So much for the barn," Gobber suddenly announced. I looked over his shoulder to see that the door had been frozen over.

"There's no other place to keep them!" Mulch yelled over the wind.

"The Great Hall!" Hiccup reminded them.

"So, we're gonna have the animals and dragons under the same roof," Mulch said hesitantly. "We know that won't work."

"Do you have a better idea?" I shouted over another gust of wind. Mulch was ready to argue when he thought better of it.

Instead all of us started making our way to the Great Hall. It felt like it was getting colder by the minute. And as per-freaking usual, I wasn't dressed for it. Sometimes I wondered why I even bothered.

The animals had started walking in several different directions as we got closer. It was obvious they were trying to avoid the dragons. Judging by the look on their faces they weren't in any hurry to get along either.

"Right," Gobber started. "Keep them separated."

"This way!" Astrid yelled to the sheep.

"Come on, let's go this way," Fishlegs said to a stray sheep.

As if on cue, a bolt of lightning suddenly struck a nearby tree. Stormfly, who had landed shortly after, let out a yelp of surprise at the sight. She was so startled that her tail spikes suddenly flared up, whipping Hookfang in the face. Hookfang, enraged by this act, engulfed himself in flames. And of course the animals started to panic at the sight, scattering in different directions.

"Don't worry, I've got this!" Snotlout exclaimed. He stood in front of a herd of yaks stampeding towards him. I tried not to laugh as they trampled over him. "Ow! Ow! Ow! Okay, everything hurts!" he groaned in pain.

The animals ran around Fishlegs until he started getting dizzy and fell on the ground. A flock of sheep ran over him as they were chased by Ruffnut. She had almost caught them until a chicken flew up in her face.

As I watched the animals flee I realized they stood no chance out there. It definitely was getting colder. Without hesitation I got onto Snowfire's back, having noticed that Hiccup did the same with Toothless.

"Where are you goin'?" Gobber demanded as we started to take off.

"I'm going after them," Hiccup replied.

"Forget it Hiccup, we'll never find them in this storm!" Gobber shouted.

"With the dragons we can," I pointed out.

"We have to try, or else we'll starve to death," Hiccup added.

"No, your father will kill me if I leave you out there," Gobber said with a shake of his head.

"Sorry Gobber," I apologized as we both took off.

Oh we were never going to hear the end of this. I could imagine Stoick would have a few choice words for us if we made it back alive.

'_I cannot control the temperature when it is this cold_,' Snowfire reminded us.

"I don't think that's a problem," Hiccup replied.

"It is when you're not dressed for the weather," I pointed out under my breath. I was already shivering from the cold, though luckily no one noticed. The last thing I wanted to do was hold them back.

Toothless had to fire several plasma blasts when it got too dark to see. I hadn't missed the fact that the others joined us shortly after we took off. It was good to know we wouldn't suffer through this alone.

"You guys grab as many as you can," Hiccup ordered over the howling wind. "We'll herd them back to the Great Hall!"

"Can we swing by my house?" Fishlegs asked while trying to keep himself warm. "I'd like to grab my heavy coat!"

"Hey, check this out!" Tuffnut suddenly shouted while slapping himself. "I'm so cold I can't even feel my face!" Ruffnut slapped him shortly after, scowling when she realized he didn't feel it. "See, didn't feel it!"

"That takes all the fun out of it!" Ruffnut groaned.

"There they are!" Hiccup suddenly yelled. "Come on!"

"Yaks to the left!" Fishlegs called.

"Chickens!" Snotlout pointed out. He flew past Hiccup and nearly ran into Meatlug in the process. "Hey, give me some space! I'm flyin' over here!" Snotlout scolded.

I watched as the others tried herding the animals together. Snotlout hadn't managed to round up the chickens despite his eagerness to reach them. Instead Hookfang had flown higher in the sky towards a tree. Hookfang had lost control and was starting to spin around, creating more of a problem than help.

To my right I could see Stormfly had caught up with a flock of sheep. Astrid managed to round them up and had Stormfly fire her spikes. She grinned triumphantly as the spikes kept them in a makeshift pen. And of course Hookfang chose that moment to drop from the sky and head towards the new coral.

"Snotlout, what are you doing?" she demanded as he knocked the spikes out of place. "You're all over the place!" The sheep had started running away again once they had their freedom.

"You try herding chickens with a dragon who doesn't listen to you!" Snotlout retorted.

"Hiccup, stray sheep!" I shouted when three sheep separated from the group. They were all headed in a different direction, towards the mountain.

Hiccup spotted them and flew past me in order to catch them.

'_At the rate this is going we will all freeze_,' Snowfire huffed in annoyance.

"I didn't think dragons got that cold," Astrid muttered.

Snowfire let out a huff of smoke that once again covered her face. I tried not to smirk when she glared at Snowfire.

I looked up just in time to see a baby sheep fall off the cliff. Horror surged through me as I realized what was about to happen. Until Toothless suddenly swooped in out of nowhere and caught it. Seconds later and the baby sheep was gently placed on the ground with it's parents.

"Good job bud," Hiccup said just as we reached him.

"Hiccup, this storm is getting worse," I pointed out. "We can barely see a thing!" Hiccup looked at me warily before patting Toothless on the neck.

"Come on bud, give us some light," he ordered. Toothless than shot a plasma blast that lit up the entire field of snow. My eyes narrowed as I saw two figures silhouetted against the faint light. "Stray yaks! Twelve o'clock!" Hiccup suddenly shouted.

"I see them!" Tuffnut called back. "And they are huge!" They flew through the storm with surprising speed, given how big Barf and Belch were. The Zippleback wasn't very well known for it's speed. "I got the yaks!" he told us.

"Put me down now!" a new voice shouted.

I tried not to grin when I realized who they had grabbed. In the midst of the chaos Stoick and Gobber had managed to find us. Ruffnut and Tuffnut just shrugged before dropped them on the snow.

"Do I look like a yak to you?" Gobber demanded.

'_You smell like one_,' Snowfire crooned in amusement. Gobber glared at her but didn't say anything. Ironically he had landed next to a real yak, who rolled it's eyes and trotted away without a care.

Hiccup landed Toothless shortly after and approached his father shamefully. "You shouldn't be here, son," Stoick scolded him.

"Dad, I'm sorry that I let you down."

"This isn't your fault, son," Stoick reassured him. We landed nearby just as Stoick placed a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, we're taking you back."

"Which way?" Gobber asked.

"Follow our tracks," Stoick replied, pointing towards an unmarked path.

'_This is why we mark our territories_,' Snowfire chided them softly.

"Well, so much for that idea," Gobber muttered.

"Sir?" Fishlegs asked in a pitiful voice. "What do we do now?"

I hadn't noticed until now how much I was shivering. My bare arms probably looked blue from the cold. Stoick turned and looked at us all before holding out his arms.

"Everyone come together," he ordered. I just stayed where I was, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. Stoick gave me an odd look before letting out a sigh of frustration. "You two, Alex." I eyed him warily before finally joining them.

Carefully Hiccup wrapped his arm over me, noticing how much I was shaking. I tried to avoid his gaze when I noticed how concerned he suddenly was. If it wasn't for Stoick ordering me to join them I probably would have frozen to death.

Needless to say I was exhausted. I don't think I've ever felt so tired in my life. The voices around me had become muffled as black spots began appearing around the edge of my vision. I wouldn't have realized until than that I passed out.

...

Toothless and the others had joined them shortly after she passed out. Hiccup was trying desperately to hide the blush when he wrapped his arm around Alex. But she had felt colder than anyone in their small group. She wasn't dressed for this kind of weather, or even remotely prepared for it.

"She'll be alright, won't she?" he couldn't help but ask as Snowfire made a crooning noise of concern. He hadn't seen anyone's skin look so pale before, to the point he was afraid she actually had died. Luckily though he could still hear her faint breathing over the howling wind.

"I don't know, son," Stoick replied. "I haven't seen anything like this."

He wasn't even sure why he was so concerned about her. Alex was so… different from everyone else. And maybe that was why they had gotten along. They shared something in common. But there was still so much about her that he didn't know.

Suddenly the dragons started spitting a wad of fire around their riders to keep them warm. Toothless had managed to gain the baby sheep's trust and led it over to their small group. Once the baby sheep had noticed that it was safe with the dragons, it called to it's family.

It wasn't long before the other animals had joined them. Soon the small group had become a family as the dragons protected them against the storm's wrath. It was an amazing spectacle that few rarely got to see.

"It's their natural instinct," Astrid whispered in awe.

"Your dragons really are something, son," Stoick told him.

"Yeah, they are." Hiccup glanced down at Alex, who surprisingly enough was still in his arms. He tried hiding another blush when he noticed that everyone was staring at him. Hopefully this wouldn't last too long.

...

I was floating in a world of darkness. My mind was still hazy with everything that had happened. Images of my mom and my old house started floating past me. All I could see was how upset my mom was. Then I saw an image that sent shivers of fear through me.

A picture of someone I had not seen for years was placed right in front of me. The man was, as usual, scowling in disgust as he looked at me. He had the same auburn hair that I was unfortunate enough to inherit.

He was my father. I hated that man for abandoning us during our time of need. My mom had to work overtime in order to keep our house. He had a job at one point that kept us both going. But than he started to change. When I was four he had become more violent and angry. When my mom would work double shifts he would often take out his anger on me.

Finally I had reached the age of five, and already had mental scars from his treatment. One day when I was with my grandparents he just disappeared. The police even ran an investigation to make sure that it wasn't a murder case. Despite the fact that mom was devastated, I had never felt more relieved to see him gone.

"You can't escape me forever," he suddenly whispered. My blood ran cold as I stared at the picture in astonishment. The picture had changed into the real thing. It took a while for me to realize that this was just a dream. Ironic considering I used to think that being stuck on Berk was just a dream. "You are not the only one with your gift."

The scowl on his face never left as he started to fade. All I could do was stare, until finally he disappeared once more. It wasn't long before light began to take over my vision as well. My mind was still a little fuzzy as my eyes started to open.

To my surprise I found myself back in my room. A cozy fire had been started in a fire-pit, similar to the one in the Great Hall. My eyes widened when I realized that Snowfire was sitting right beside me, watching me intensely.

'_Welcome back, little one_,' she crooned with happiness as she rubbed my hand. I forced back a groan of pain as I struggled to sit up. '_The other hatchling was just here_,' she suddenly went on. '_He left to fetch some food_.'

"Um, do you mean Hiccup?" Embarrassment washed over me when Snowfire dipped her head. "Do you know what happened?" I rubbed her muzzle, thankful that everything seemed to be back to normal. I assumed that meant the awful storm was over as well.

'_You fainted_,' she replied. '_The cold became too much for you_.' I nodded in understanding. It had been deathly cold out there, and of course I wasn't dressed for the weather. But everyone else had made it out okay, right? Why was it that I always seemed to be the one who got into trouble?

"So I take it everyone thinks I'm weak as hell," I muttered under my breath in a bitter tone. Which was probably true. Unlike most of the Vikings here I was probably about as weak as they got. Even Hiccup was stronger than me.

'_Of course not_.' Even I could hear the doubt in her voice. I let out a sigh of annoyance and got out of the bed. '_You should let yourself rest_,' she suddenly told me. '_You have not woken up for quite some time_.'

I looked at her in shock before trying to shake it off. "How long was I out?" I demanded. I hated knowing that I was out for such a long time. The last time something like that had happened was when I was thirteen. My first day of middle school had led to a fight in the hallway. And it had landed me in the hospital for nearly a week.

"For three days, give or take," a new voice suddenly spoke up. Snowfire let out a greeting croon before rushing over to Hiccup's side. I tried not to smirk as she knocked the basket of fish out of his hands. "She hadn't eaten for three days," he added warily.

'_I was worried_,' she defended herself, sounding more offended than anything else. We both laughed when she swallowed a pile of fish eagerly.

"So, uh, how did things go with the animals?" I asked, trying to break the awkwardness.

"They're getting along, finally," Hiccup explained while rubbing his arm sheepishly. "Toothless managed to convince them that dragons aren't dangerous."

I couldn't help but grin at that. Leave it to Toothless to try and make things better. There was a reason I loved that Night Fury. We made a pact with the dragons, and as it turned out, they had the instincts to protect us, Vikings and animals alike. Life in this world suddenly got warmer.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I know it's not the best ending, but it is an ending ;) And lots of foreshadowing in this chapter as well. And this is the longest chapter to date. The song I put up above is a very fitting one for Alex, I would think... Anywho, on to review replies!<strong>

**silverwolvesarecool - No problem! And is it sad that I laughed at that? :P Gotta love/hate Snotlout!**

**CameronNinjaDragons - Well it is a rather popular name :) And I'm pretty much obsessed with it, which is why I started this story XD I'd say it's ten times better than Frozen. And thank you for reviewing; they're always appreciated!**

**69579 - Thanks again! And those are pretty awesome sounding dragons too!**

**Weird4Life - First off, thank you for reviewing. I really appreciate you taking the effort and time to :) And it can be difficult at times incorporating Alex into the story, but I manage. And thank you again!**


	20. The Terrible Twos

**Chapter Twenty**

I never did tell Hiccup or anyone about those nightmares. The fact that I had seen my father again in a dream had terrified me. I didn't want to admit that I was afraid of what people would say about him. Or the fact that he was my father. As some people I know would have said, he was nothing but a bastard seeking comfort from a woman. Unfortunately my mom happened to be said woman.

Luckily the incident during the snowstorm had been long forgotten by everyone, except for me. I reminded myself to put on warmer clothing when devastating winter arrived. It was just another part of living here on Berk.

Now we were flying through the forest trying to work on communication between rider and dragon. Communication was key while out on the field. Sometimes the dragon knew better than their rider. In my case Snowfire was almost always right when it came to what she had to say.

"Follow me!" Hiccup ordered as we flew into the forest. "Low-level evasive maneuvers; come on bud!" He patted Toothless' neck before flying through one of the gaps in the many trees that blocked our way.

'_I'd like you try and avoid this_,' Snowfire grunted as she barely passed an opening that even a Deadly Nadder couldn't get through. I barely managed to hang on to her saddle as she made her way through. How she did get through was beyond me.

I looked over my shoulder in time to see Hookfang crashing into several trees at once. The Nightmare was a bit too cumbersome for this part of the forest. It didn't help that Snotlout was only making things worse for them.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Snotlout demanded as he held on to Hookfang's horns. "Are you trying to kill me?" Hookfang just roared at him defiantly. I rolled my eyes when Snotlout looked Hookfang in the eye. He really doesn't learn, does he? "We should go back; I think you missed a branch," he muttered. Hookfang rolled his eyes and swerved down towards the trees that were still intact. Once they got back Snotlout's face was covered in debris. "Got it."

Snowfire ignored his comment and flew towards Toothless. Stormfly and Astrid had managed to keep up with them. Snowfire let out a low growl that caused Stormfly to stop in mid-flight. I had to laugh at Astrid's reaction when she fell behind again.

"Stormfly, up!" she called when they were fast approaching a lower tree branch. Stormfly suddenly ducked down below the branch, throwing Astrid off in the process. Luckily she landed on Stormfly's back seconds later. "You were right, Stormfly," she gasped. "It was down. I almost died!"

"Almost died? I would've died!" Snotlout exclaimed after joining us. He than tried pulling out the branch that was stuck in his nose.

"That's a good look for you," I told him with a grin. Snotlout looked at me in surprise before quickly putting the branch back into his nostril.

"Has anyone seen Fishlegs?" Hiccup suddenly asked.

"I saw him yesterday," Tuffnut replied. "Does that count?"

'_I would bet all of my fish that he is stuck in a tree_,' Snowfire said. Toothless almost instantly perked up at that. I smothered another laugh at the sight. When it came to fish Toothless was willing to do anything, within reason of course.

"Well, let's go look for him," Hiccup told us.

"Just follow the trail of fallen trees," I chimed in. Hiccup shot me a smirk before flying towards the direction we came from. We managed to pass a tree and spotted Meatlug stuck inside. By now I was struggling not to laugh when I saw Fishlegs was stuck in a tree down below.

"There you are, Fishlegs," Hiccup said as we landed in the clearing. "Are you okay?"

'_I told you_,' Snowfire hummed with amusement as Toothless looked at her in disappointment.

"I'm fine, just hanging out, not like I crashed or anything," Fishlegs said. There was a pause before he spoke again, this time sounding embarrassed, "Okay I crashed. There, I said it."

"Hang on, we'll get you out," I reassured him.

"Wait, Alex is there?" Fishlegs suddenly sounded worried. I folded my arms and eyed him curiously. We both each took a leg and began to pry him out, but instead managed to pull off his pants.

"Oh, damn," I muttered under my breath, blushing furiously.

"And there goes my dignity," Fishlegs said in an awkward tone.

Reluctantly we both tried pulling him out, but to no avail. All the while Snowfire was making that same laughing sound in the background. It was good to know that someone was amused. This was probably more awkward than when Hiccup and I had to keep each other warm in that snow cave.

"Yeah, you're pretty stuck," Hiccup murmured after backing away.

"I bet Toothless could get him out of there with a plasma blast," I said in a voice low enough that Fishlegs wouldn't hear.

"Sounds like a good idea," Hiccup nodded in agreement. Than his voice rose so that Fishlegs could hear him, "We think we know how to get you down. But you'll have to stay perfectly still." I could see Fishlegs stiffen at once.

"Why, what are you going to do?" he asked anxiously.

"Be careful bud, he's not wearing any pants," Hiccup said to Toothless.

"Huh?" Fishlegs suddenly started getting jumpy. "What does my lack of pants have to do with—" Toothless interrupted him by firing a plasma blast at his backside. Fishlegs was sent tumbling down from the tree, screaming before Toothless had caught him by his tunic. "Thank you," Fishlegs said while gasping in relief. Than he looked at the pants Hiccup was holding. "I believe those are mine," he added awkwardly. Hiccup tossed him the pants without hesitation.

"Now, what are we going to do about Meat—" I was cut off at the sound of branches cracking above us. "—lug!" The dragon in question landed in a bush in front of us.

"Can you guys please not tell anyone about the trees?" Fishlegs asked. "Meatlug's sensitive about her weight." He patted her on the shoulder as she looked down sadly.

'_Perhaps she should try eating less fish_,' Snowfire suggested. I forced back a smirk when Fishlegs looked at her shamefully.

"That isn't fat we're talking about," I reminded her. "Gronckle's are known for their muscle and heavy bones." I'd recited a line from the Book of Dragons. And for once I couldn't help feeling proud of myself that I remembered that.

"How did this happen?" Hiccup asked after looking at me in surprise.

"Well," Fishlegs began, "Meatlug and I were just out, taking notes on flora and fauna… you know, typical guy stuff." Hiccup was quick to hide my smirk as Fishlegs looked at us. "Then something weird jumped out of the bushes; it was like a… a flaming squirrel."

"Really? A flaming squirrel?" we both asked in unison.

Now I've seen a lot of crazy things in this world. But a flaming squirrel seemed a bit off, even for me.

"Or a chipmunk," he quickly put in. "Or some other flammable rodent. I don't know." Fishlegs looked down at the ground before trying to ask us to believe him. "Whatever it was, it scared us. Isn't that enough for you?"

"You hear that?" Hiccup asked as he climbed on to Toothless. I smirked and shook my head as I climbed into Snowfire's saddle. "A flaming squirrel." The two of us took off once Fishlegs was settled down.

"Yep. I'd say he's making excuses," I said with a nod. Snowfire hummed in agreement before something shot past us. I held back a scream as a burst of fire hit us both, knocking us off of our dragons.

"Whoa, you saw that, right?" Hiccup glanced at me as we landed safely on the ground.

"Yeah, it was a bit hard to miss," I muttered crossly.

The two of us got up and hid behind a log, peering cautiously over it. What we saw next caught us both completely by surprise. A small looking dragon was crawling around in a clearing. It hid in a pile of rocks, large enough and yet small enough that it could hide in such a cramped space.

When we approached it warily I noticed that it looked almost like a Monstrous Nightmare. Only it's skull was pure white and it had less horns, aside from the one on it's nose. What caught my attention were it's scales. It looked orange and purple, vibrant and beautiful even from a distance.

"Hey there little guy." Hiccup kept his voice quiet so he wouldn't scare it off. "What are you?" He placed his hand on the rock near the little dragon. I watched in amazement as the little dragon growled and tried snapping it's jaws around Hiccup's hand. "Whoa!" Hiccup recoiled almost instantly. "Easy little fellow."

I leaned down as the little dragon looked at me curiously. "I've never seen anyone like you," I whispered. The little dragon suddenly squeaked and tried flying towards me. What surprised me more was how terrified the poor guy looked.

Toothless approached us both cautiously as the little dragon crooned at my touch. I was amazed at the fact that this wild dragon had approached me so easily. What made me so different from every other human here? Toothless gave one sniff of the dragon and let out a furious growl.

"You're not helping," Hiccup pointed out as the dragon backed away in fear. Once we got up we exchanged knowing looks. "You know, I think we've just discovered a new species," he said. Then Toothless suddenly approached us again and tried pushing Hiccup away. "Whoa, hey, Toothless, what has gotten into you?" he asked.

The dragon started walking around and brushed it's wing against the rock. "It looks like he might be hurt," I murmured thoughtfully. The dragon crooned as if agreeing with my statement. "Can you watch it for a moment? I think I know what to do," I suddenly told Hiccup.

Hiccup nodded and knelt down to comfort the dragon. Meanwhile I went off searching for the right herbs. I had pretty much memorized the herbs I used on Toothless' tail fin the first time we met. Though he wasn't able to recover his tail, Hiccup had said the herbs helped.

'_What is happening_?' Snowfire asked when she joined me.

"We found…. I think it's a baby," I explained while sifting through the undergrowth. Thankfully the herbs underneath were still intact, despite the colder weather. Snowfire sniffed them curiously as I picked out which ones would work on wounds. "I'm not sure though; nothing like it has been described in the Book of Dragons," I put in.

'_What does it look like_?' I didn't miss the concern in her voice. I quickly explained what the dragon looked like, noticing how her irises grew smaller as she let out a growl. '_That dragon is only a hatchling_,' she suddenly hissed.

"Oh come on, you call everyone hatchlings!" I muttered. Snowfire was quick to block my path and glared. "Let me through; it's hurt and needs help." Snowfire only stood her ground, to the point where I had to push my way past her.

Now that I thought about it, Toothless had acted the same way. Maybe something was wrong with the dragon. But I couldn't sit around and do nothing if it was hurt. Besides, the dragon hadn't done anything yet.

When I got back I noticed a tear in Hiccup's shirt. The little dragon was sniffing it's wing and chirped excitedly as I got closer.

"What happened to you?" I asked with a smirk.

"Little dragon, big claws," he replied with a roll of his eyes.

I knelt down just like Hiccup had and started working with the dragon. "Easy little guy," I reassured it. "This is gonna sting a little." I had to crush the herbs into a poultice so that they could be spread on the wing, which would hopefully heal fast. The dragon squeaked in surprise at the sudden touch and nearly snapped my hand off in the process. Hiccup pulled me back just in time. "Thanks," I gasped.

"No problem." Hiccup watched with interest as I managed to soothe the dragon and applied the poultice. Mentally I thanked my mom for teaching me these survival skills. "How'd you learn to do that?" he asked curiously.

"My mom taught me everything I know," I explained with a shrug. Once I was finished the dragon crooned happily and rubbed it's head against my hand. "I…. I never realized how much I miss her." My voice dropped to a whisper.

"I-I know how you feel," he replied hesitantly. I looked at him in surprise until he explained, "I lost my mother when I was just a baby. I-I never had the chance to get to know her." By now the little dragon had fallen asleep in my arms.

"I'm sorry." I started rubbing the dragon's neck, careful not to wake it or hurt it. I never realized how lucky I was to have had a mother who cared for me so much.

"We should… probably head back," he suddenly murmured.

"Yeah, probably." The awkward silence only made things worse. Reluctantly Snowfire and Toothless had taken us back to the arena, where the others were already waiting for us.

...

"This is so exciting! It's a whole new species!" Fishlegs was literally shivering with excitement as the dragon crawled around the arena. For the most part it had gotten better and was more aware of it's surroundings.

"Doesn't look like a flaming squirrel to me," Tuffnut muttered.

"We have no idea what it's capable of," Fishlegs added as he leaned down to pet it. The dragon only narrowed it's eyes and scurried away. "There's no telling what it can do!" Tuffnut than leaned down and looked at the dragon.

"Flame. Do it!" he tried ordering. The dragon let out a growl and suddenly bit his nose, latching itself on to him. Tuffnut flailed his arms while Ruffnut and I laughed at him. "Get it off! Get it off! Get it off!" The dragon than turned it's head to look at Ruffnut and jumped onto her face, receiving the same reaction Tuffnut had shown seconds ago. He looked at his sister and started laughing as well.

"Hey, that is funny!" The dragon than jumped off of Ruffnut and landed on the ground.

"Come on guys," Hiccup muttered with a roll of his eyes. "This is serious. We have to figure out what to do with him. He's hurt." Surprisingly the dragon leaped into my arms after he said that, crooning in contentment.

"He's hurt?" Tuffnut said while rubbing his nose.

"He's just really scared; he'll calm down," I reassured him while rubbing the dragon's neck.

"Uh, new species, remember? We don't actually know what he'll do," Fishlegs reminded us.

"Well, someone's gotta take him home," Astrid pointed out. That was when everyone turned and looked at me and Hiccup.

'_I would rather die than let that beast in my nest_!" Snowfire suddenly spat. The little dragon suddenly jumped out of my arms, realizing that Snowfire probably would do such a thing. Hiccup and I exchanged looks before he shrugged.

"Well, big guy, here's your somebody," Hiccup said once the dragon had jumped into his arms.

"Just let me know if he needs more of that ointment," I told him.

"That won't be a problem," he replied with a shrug.

"And why do I get the feeling that this_ is_ going to be a problem?" I asked under my breath. Judging by the glare Toothless was giving him, this wasn't going to end well.

...

Later that night I was sitting in my bed with Spikes laying next to me. Having an extra dragon in the place probably wouldn't have been a good idea. I had a feeling that two was my limit. There was already a hot-headed White Terror and curious Terrible Terror here.

'_I do not like that creature_,' Snowfire muttered crossly.

"Why not?" I asked as I looked at my journal. I kept a makeshift lantern at my bedside so that I could actually read. Seeing as lanterns hadn't been invented yet, I had to make something that worked similarly.

'_That creature is only a hatchling_,' she replied. '_It's mother is extremely territorial, and will go after anyone who has it_.' I looked at Snowfire in surprise. I remembered hearing stories in my world of animals that would do the same.

"How do you know so much about them?" I was genuinely curious. It was obvious that Snowfire knew more about these creatures than she was letting on. She simply snorted and eyed me warily before dropping her determined gaze.

'_There are some things in this world that you are not meant to know_,' she told me. I was ready to argue when I thought better of it. Snowfire had already turned her head away, showing obvious signs that she was finished here.

With a sigh of frustration I looked back down at my journal. I winced when I noticed some of my earlier journal entries. Some of the things I'd written before meeting Hiccup were a bit dull and boring. I could remember how terrified I was waking up to this world. And of course Hiccup's reaction when I told him my story was priceless.

I shook my head and put out the flame, careful not to start a fire. Now that would have been a real disaster. Eventually I was finally able to sleep, but not without facing yet more nightmares. This was going to be a long night.

...

"Okay, Torch, let's figure out what you are," Hiccup said as everyone gathered in the arena. Thankfully no one had noticed how exhausted I was. My feet were rocking back and forth when Hiccup had told everyone what the new dragon's name was.

"This is so exciting! Documenting a whole knew species, learning all about it!" Fishlegs exclaimed.

"Wait, learning?" Tuffnut asked in confusion.

"No thanks," Ruffnut replied.

"There's nothing in the Book of Dragons that looks anything like him," Hiccup pointed out while looking through the Book of Dragons.

"We even get to determine what it's called." By now Fishlegs was hyperventilating with excitement. "That is…. That is a really big responsibility. I don't know if I'm ready for that!"

"I am!" Snotlout shouted. "I'm gonna name the snot out of it!" He quickly jumped in front of the dragon.

"Twenty inches for the wings," Astrid announced while measuring Torch's wings.

"That's a big wingspan," I practically mumbled. Hiccup gave me a look of concern before shaking his head. "Especially for a dragon his size."

"Big wing! Wing span! Big wingspan!" Snotlout suddenly started giving out names.

"May I have the honor of administrating the claw test?" Fishlegs asked. He picked up a scroll, unraveled it and held it in front of Torch. The dragon eyed it warily before slicing at it with his claws like it was nothing. "These talons… they're razor like."

"Than maybe he belongs in the Sharp Class," I suggested.

"Sharp claw. Razor feet. Razor-Sharp-Claw-Talon-Feet!" Snotlout was randomly spitting out names now. I already had enough of a headache, I really didn't need to deal with this.

"Wait, is he serious?" Tuffnut asked.

"You know what's next, don't you?" Fishlegs asked in an overly eager tone.

"No, not really." Hiccup watched him in amusement as Fishlegs walked over to a barrel full of fish.

"Only the single most important test that determines a dragon's reaction to eels," Fishlegs explained as he pulled out the creature in question. "The eel reaction test." Fishlegs held out the eel and watched as the other dragons backed away. He held the eel over Torch, and the little dragon wasted no time in devouring it. "He ate it!"

"Okay, than maybe he's a Mystery Class dragon." I eyed the other dragons warily. They did not look happy being in the same space as Torch.

"Eel Eater!" Snotlout yelled. "Oh come on, that's perfect!"

"Guys, has there ever been a dragon that was—" Hiccup stopped when he stood between me and Fishlegs.

"Never in recorded history," Fishlegs interrupted. "We're in uncharted waters, my friend." Hiccup knelt down to pat Torch's head once again.

"You hear that Torch? You're one of a kind," he said.

"Now if we can get him to fly," Fishlegs cut in.

'_He cannot fly because he is a hatchling_,' Snowfire snapped. I barely heard her voice at this point. Everything was kind of a blur right now. All I could do now was act like I was paying attention and hope that someone would fill me in later.

"Maybe if Torch saw Toothless fly," Hiccup began, ignoring what Snowfire had said. "Toothless, let's take a ride bud!" Toothless wasn't sitting far from the arena. But he didn't look pleased at all and was in no hurry to go anywhere. "Toothless!"

"So much for the dragon trainers!" Snotlout mocked him. He walked over to Hookfang's side. "We've got this." He got on Hookfang's back and Torch watched them curiously. "Watch and learn," he said. Hookfang was quick to take off, managing to beat up Snotlout in the process as he flew around the arena in circles. Then he flew past Toothless, who looked just as stubborn as Snowfire, right out of the arena. "Okay, your turn," Snotlout told him while trying to catch his breath. "But don't think you can live up to that."

Torch jumped and started walking around awkwardly in a circle.

"What's he doing?" Ruffnut asked.

"I think something's wrong," Astrid pointed out.

'_He is too young_!' Snowfire suddenly snarled.

"Maybe he can't fly," Hiccup murmured.

Sparks started to fly out of Torch's back as he ran in circles faster. The heat off of his back was surprisingly strong as it started to light up. Torch than began to lift off the ground as he looked like a sparkler twirling around the arena. It didn't take him long to land on the ground in circles. Torch was quick to jump back over to Hiccup.

"You are one incredible little dragon," he said.

"He kind of looks like a sparkler," I said with a shrug. Everyone gave me strange looks at that comment. "Sorry, reference to my world."

One of the many things I missed from my world. Every year at the Fourth of July my mom would buy a pack of sparklers for me and my friends to play with. If it wasn't than it was always New Years. I can still remember going crazy with them running up and down the sidewalks at night.

"Whoa, look at that burn mark," Ruffnut said as they looked down at where Torch had landed. Sure enough there was an odd looking swirl mark on the ground. It kind of reminded me of what you see at the top of Cinnabuns.

"Huh, and look at this burn mark," Tuffnut told her. He was showing off a freshly burned mark on his arm, and Ruffnut scowled in disgust at the sight.

"Did you see how it flew?" asked Fishlegs. "It spun like – like a typhoon!"

"And he came back like a boomerang," Astrid added.

"Hot spinner! Flaming-come backer!" Snotlout yelled out.

"No," Fishlegs said with a shake of his head. "The Typhoomerang."

"Typhoomerang?" Snotlout asked in a snort of disgust. "Nope, I don't get it." Both Astrid and I rolled our eyes at that.

...

"Are you okay?" It was the second time Hiccup had caught me nearly nodding off that day. Luckily this time we were alone – well, as alone as it could get with three dragons sitting around us. Snowfire stayed close to Toothless, who was still glaring at Torch. It seemed the two of them agreed with the fact that Torch didn't belong here.

"I'll be fine," I said in a hopefully reassuring tone. Hiccup just eyed me skeptically before I let out an irritated sigh. "Okay, maybe I'm not so fine," I muttered crossly.

"D-Did you have another nightmare?" I tried not to smirk when I noticed that Hiccup was blushing furiously again. Gobber had told me that he watched over me while I was out. But than another thought had crossed my mind.

"Wait, what do you mean by nightmares?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. This just kept getting more and more awkward as we walked on.

"I… may have heard you talking in your sleep," he replied sheepishly. I've noticed that when a situation got even worse Hiccup started rubbing his arm, as if that would make things better or easier. "Sorry!" He quickly braced himself, as if expecting me to punch him in the arm. All I did was roll my eyes.

"Please, don't apologize," I reassured him. "Look, there are some things about me that you probably shouldn't know," I added warily. My mind went back to the image of my father glaring down at me, and I shuddered at the memory. "Let's just say that before I woke up in this world, things weren't exactly easy for me."

Hiccup eyed me skeptically before leaving it at that. It wasn't that I didn't trust him. But, truthfully I was afraid of how he would react if I told him about my father. He was lucky to have a father who cared for him, even if Stoick didn't show it too often.

Thankfully we didn't say much else as we returned to our respected homes. Snowfire curled up on her stone slab while Spikes was resting his chin on my leg. I'd never felt more afraid to fall sleep than now. I wasn't ready to face another nightmare. But I knew that I would have to sleep eventually. The last thing I wanted was to pass out again in front of everyone.

'_Would you like to talk about it_?' Snowfire suddenly asked, sounding half-asleep. I looked at her in surprise before shaking my head. I wasn't even sure how long I had been staring at the ceiling until she spoke up.

"No, not really," I replied after biting the bottom of my lip. Snowfire narrowed her eyes when she finally looked up at me.

'_Something is troubling you, hatchling_,' she snapped. '_Speak now, or it will only continue to haunt you_.'

"Snow, you really don't know what it's like," I began while continuing to bite the bottom of my lip. "I've had to live with that secret for most of my life, and I'm not in any hurry to tell anyone what he did." Tears stung my eyes as I tried to wipe them away. When did my life suddenly become such a sob story?

'_You speak of your father_?' Snowfire's question caught me by surprise. All I could do was nod as she let out an irritated sigh. _'If what you have said about him is true, than perhaps it is best to forget about it_.'

I rubbed Spikes' neck as he started to stir. "I wish it were that simple," I muttered. Sadly life was never that easy. All I knew was that sooner or later my past would come back to bite me. I only hoped that the others weren't caught in the crossfire.

...

We were back in the arena early the next morning. Finally I had gotten some decent sleep, for the first night in days. Hiccup was holding Torch in his arms when the little dragon suddenly jumped out of them and into mine. I grinned sheepishly and scratched the bottom of his chin.

"You did the right thing with Toothless," Astrid said reassuringly. "I'm sure he'll snap out of it." I looked at her in surprise before realizing I had missed half of their conversation.

"What happened with Toothless?" I asked sheepishly.

"I had to take him to the cove," Hiccup replied. The guilt in his voice suddenly made me feel guilty that I wasn't here sooner. "He was getting jealous of Torch, and…." He stopped himself from continuing as Torch let out a squeak.

"Something tells me there was more to it than that," I murmured, remembering what Snowfire had said the other day.

"What if Toothless doesn't snap out of it?" Snotlout suddenly asked, grinning to himself. "Than you wouldn't have a dragon. And if you don't have a dragon to ride than you can't be leader of the Dragon Academy."

"Then I would be in charge," I pointed out with a smug look. "Do you really want that?" Snotlout looked at me in disbelief before shaking his head.

"You guys would not believe what we just saw!" Tuffnut suddenly shouted as he and Ruffnut arrived on Barf and Belch.

"Excuse me, I believe we were having a power struggle here," Snotlout cut in.

"We are not having a power struggle," Hiccup muttered with a roll of his eyes.

"The whole forest, ultimate destruction," Tuffnut said, ignoring them both.

"It was beautiful. The whole thing was torched," Ruffnut added, grinning with excitement. Tuffnut exchanged a look with her before smiling in agreement.

Hiccup and I looked at Torch warily before glancing back at the twins. "Torched?" I asked. The little dragon in question squeaked in response.

"Show us," Hiccup added.

It didn't take us long to reach the forest in question. Hiccup was flying behind me on Snowfire with everyone else flying around us.

What we saw next made my stomach nearly drop. The whole forest looked like it had been destroyed. Trees were toppled over or had been burnt down. Among the destruction was a large spiral burnt mark in a large clearing, similar to the one Torch had made.

We landed in the clearing and stared at the sight in disbelief.

"Like we said, ultimate destruction," Ruffnut said.

"We've seen that burn mark before," Hiccup said after kneeling down to touch it.

'_I told you_,' Snowfire hissed. '_You hatchlings are worse than the one you found_!'

"It's never been this big," I murmured. "You know what this means, don't you?" I glanced at Snowfire when I realized she was right. "Big burn mark means—"

"Big Typhoomerang," Hiccup finished for me. We all looked up to see the Typhoomerang in question. It was almost as big as Snowfire, and burning the whole forest down in fury.

"He looks really mad," Tuffnut said while admiring the large creature.

"It's not a he," Hiccup corrected. "That's Torch's mother."

"Torch really is just a baby," I whispered. Snowfire let out a huff of annoyance and folded her wings.

'_I already said that_,' she snapped. The dragon in question appeared on Fishlegs' shoulders.

"I'm sorry I didn't listen," I apologized while patting her on the shoulder. I should have known Snowfire was telling the truth. A dragon always seemed to know better than their rider.

"That's what Toothless was trying to tell me," Hiccup realized.

"She must have been looking for her baby for days," Astrid put in.

"Whoever gets in between the baby and that dragon is going to be fried," Fishlegs said, passing Torch over to Tuffnut.

"You take him." Tuffnut passed Torch over to his sister.

"I don't want it!"

"Leave it and let's get out of here!" Snotlout said, passing Torch over to Hiccup.

At that moment the bigger Typhoomerang saw Torch in Hiccup's arms and glared. Without warning she flew straight towards him. Hiccup was quick to put Torch down. "Now go home to your mama," he said while patting Torch's head. He looked up in time to see the mother firing at them. "Run!"

All of started running away as the dragon started chasing after us. I looked over my shoulder in time to see Torch following me. "Oh for the love of, why are you following me?" I demanded as Torch tried keeping up. "You guys go that way; I'll lead her to the forest!" I shouted as I veered to the left.

"Hiccup!" I turned just in time to see both Hiccup and the mother gaining on me. Astrid's call made me slow down just in time to see how furious the mother was.

"Oh please stop following us," Hiccup groaned when he spotted Torch not far behind.

Snowfire had managed to fly just above the mother dragon, a low growl forming in the back of her throat.

"You go on ahead, I'll see if I can keep her distracted," I suddenly said as Snowfire landed nearby. The mother dragon had spotted her as well and let out a screech of anger. Snowfire responded by firing a blast of ice at the dragon.

'_Leave this place now, outsider_!' she shouted.

"Take it easy; she's only worried about Torch," I told her as I climbed into the saddle. Snowfire only rolled her eyes and lifted into the air.

I looked around in time to see that the mother had spotted Toothless and was giving chase. It didn't take a genius to realize that Torch was with them. Hiccup had to make several evasive maneuvers in order to avoid the mother's wrath.

'_A mother dragon is always more territorial than any other_,' Snowfire explained as we followed.

"That doesn't explain why they were here in the first place," I muttered. Soon enough Hiccup managed to lead the mother into the sea stacks, using her size against her. It didn't take him long to make the mother crash land into the ground seconds later, groaning in shock from the impact. Snowfire landed just as Toothless had joined the mother.

"I hope we didn't hurt her," he murmured.

Torch got off of Toothless' saddle and jumped down to his mother. I watched in surprise as Torch nudged his mother gently with his muzzle. The mother turned her head slightly and looked at Torch in what I thought was hope.

Two other baby Typhoomerang's suddenly jumped off their mother's back. One was yellow and the other was a royal blue color. It was amazing to watch the two interact. They seemed so happy, crooning and chirping in happiness.

"We did a good job," Hiccup said while patting Toothless' head.

"Everyone's back where they belong," I put in as the mother took off. Torch peered over his mother's back and chirped along with his siblings. "Goodbye Torch!"

Then the mother started letting out a shower of sparks as she flew higher in the sky.

"We should get home," I murmured once they were gone.

Hiccup nodded in agreement and we both headed back home.

...

I was back in my house sitting on the bed with Spikes eating some fish. Snowfire had already eaten her fill and was cleaning her wings. The Typhoomerangs were gone, and amazingly a sense of peace had settled over me.

"I'm sorry I didn't listen to you," I said while trying to comb my unruly hair.

'_Perhaps next time you will know better_,' Snowfire scolded me. '_I did warn you that the dragon was just a hatchling_.' I didn't miss the smug look on her face. With a roll of my eyes I turned from the mirror and headed back to bed, humming the tune to _Be Still My Soul_.

"Well, at least I was able to get some sleep," I muttered.

I thought back to what we had seen earlier that day. The Typhoomerang had left a field of flowers where it flew off in a spark. It was amazing what dragons could do. And we were only just beginning to scratch the surface.

Communication between dragon and rider was also important. I had ignored Snowfire when she warned me of what Torch really was, and it nearly cost us our lives. Luckily though we were all safe now, and so were dragons. Maybe now we could finally get some peace and quiet.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: This chapter was kind of fun to write, and yet kind of boring too :P Not sure what to say about it. But anywho, on to review replies!<strong>

**Cutie Kyuubi - Hehe, you may or may not be right ;) And thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying it!**

**silverwolvesarecool - I always laugh at that line XD I'm not sure why though :P And thanks!**

**6959 - You'll have to wait and see ;)**

**Reko-Luna - I would have too, but sometimes Alex can be too nice :P**


	21. In Dragons We Trust

**Chapter Twenty One**

It's always good to know who you can and can't trust as you get by in life. Trust is something that I've always had difficult dealing with. When I was younger I didn't trust anyone because of what my dad had done to me. Finally as I started middle school I began making friends.

But my life changed one day when I met Snowfire. She had risked her own life to save mine. I would never forget the moment we met. That was the day I woke up in this world, and my life took a turn for the better.

We were flying around the island of Berk as a group in the afternoon. Toothless flew on ahead as Hiccup fell through the air. He was getting closer and closer to the water, until suddenly Toothless swooped in and caught him.

"Nice catch bud!" Hiccup said as he grinned at Toothless. "A little close though," he added while looking back. Toothless than turned and joined us shortly after grumbling in annoyance. "Alright, your turn," Hiccup said to Fishlegs. "Jump!"

"But I don't want to jump," Fishlegs panicked.

"You have to believe she's going to catch you," I pointed out.

"It's a trust exercise," Hiccup added.

"I would like to do my trusting on the ground, thank you very much," Fishlegs fretted.

"Like this Chicken-legs," Snotlout muttered. I tried not to laugh as Snotlout fell off of Hookfang's neck. The Monstrous Nightmare continued flying, oblivious to the fact that his rider was falling to his death.

"Should we mention something to Hookfang?" Tuffnut asked.

"Let me sleep on it," Ruffnut replied.

Astrid than flew Stormfly closer to Hookfang, looking more annoyed than ever. "Hookfang, go get him!" she yelled. Hookfang looked at her in confusion until Snowfire rolled her eyes in annoyance.

'_Go already_!' she nearly shrieked. Hookfang finally looked down in time to see that his rider was about to slam into the ocean.

"Not feeling the trust!" Snotlout was shouting. Hookfang quickly dove in to catch him, barely missing slamming into the water down below. "Coming in too fast!" he cried as Hookfang began spiraling out of control. Eventually the two had finally begun to regain their footing, only to land nearby on the island. I winced when I realized who's house Hookfang had landed on. "Mildew!" The two of them quickly took off when the old man in question walked outside, scowling in disgust.

"You'll pay for this!" he shouted as a piece of wood hit his head.

"Oh something tells me we're going to hear about this," Hiccup said after frowning. I nodded in agreement as we flew off. Mildew was one of the worst Vikings I could think of right now. And to land on his house was like asking for the dragons to be banished.

_'Are you certain I cannot bite his head off_?' Snowfire offered. The others smirked in agreement while Hiccup and I frowned. I patted Snowfire on the neck before shaking my head.

"No, we'll have to deal with this one on our own," I replied.

...

Later that evening I found myself sitting alone on the cliff once again. Spikes was chasing a moth that flapped around while Snowfire rested beside me. I couldn't stop thinking of what my nightmares had shown me the last few days ago.

The fact that I kept seeing dad's face had continued haunting me. I couldn't shake off the feeling that something terrible was going to happen. My mind kept going back to what he said during that one vision.

_You are not the only one with this gift_. I found myself horrified with what my dad would do if he ever found me again. Or if he was even still alive. I never did find out whether or not he was alive.

'_You are worried, hatchling_,' Snowfire crooned in concern. She turned and looked at me with icy blue eyes. I locked gazes with her before finally looking away.

"Snow, I can't shake off the feeling that something is about to happen," I admitted. Guilt weighed down on my chest as I gave it more thought. Maybe I should have told Hiccup or someone about my father. But I didn't want to know what they would say to his story.

'_Perhaps there is more to that feeling than you realize_,' she suggested. I only shrugged and tried ignoring it. Glancing over my shoulder I noticed something odd in the distance. A lean figure was wandering through the village, walking from house to house. Snowfire let out a growl when she spotted the figure as well.

"Easy, we don't know if it's a threat," I whispered while pushing her away. I squinted my eyes so that I could see who the figure was. My mouth nearly dropped when I saw the figure was Mildew. Snowfire's growl grew louder when she recognized his scent, or I should say stench.

'_What is that lowly coward up to now_?' she questioned as he scurried over to Hiccup's house. I was ready to answer until I saw what Mildew was holding. A pair of dirty looking boots dangled limply from his hands.

"Something tells me it's nothing good," I muttered crossly. "We'd better tell the others what he did."

Unfortunately by the time morning came my mind was too fuzzy to remember what had happened. I hadn't realized until than that I had fallen asleep. I woke up outside, with Snowfire curled up around me and Spikes sleeping in her saddle. It didn't take a genius to know that something was wrong.

I walked outside to find that most people were gathered in the arena. A Zippleback was sleeping in the center of the arena, with a pile of boots around it. My eyes narrowed thoughtfully as I tried remembering what was so important about them.

"How are we supposed to do any work around this weather without boots?" asked a random Viking. Snowfire let out an irritated growl as she nudged me forward. All I did was look at her curiously until someone else spoke up.

"This is outrageous!"

"How long until something is done about those dragons, Stoick?" Mildew was standing in the middle of the small crowd, glaring at the sleeping Zippleback. He quickly pushed his way through the crowd and approached the chief in question. "How much more can we stand?" By now more and more Vikings were complaining about their lack of boots.

"Listen to yourselves; 'my feet are cold,'" Gobber said in a mocking tone. "We're Vikings! Everything's cold! I'll fix your boots and you'll be back to work in no time." I couldn't help but smirk at his comment. Gobber always had a way with words.

"You all heard Gobber," Stoick told them as the Vikings groaned in annoyance. "You'll get your boots back as good as new." And knowing Gobber he'd have a few extra designs in hand. Back in my world boots were often personalized or styled so that they were the latest 'in fashion'.

"That's it?" Mildew demanded, looking more surprised than anything else. "No consequences for the dragons?" I eyed him suspiciously as he glared back at me. Clearly Mildew held more than just a grudge against the dragons.

"They took our boots, Mildew," Stoick replied with a shrug. It really wasn't a big deal, given the circumstances. I've seen humans do far worse things than a dragon could ever do to us. "The world isn't coming to an end."

"Oh, don't be too sure!" Mildew snapped. "Dragons are wild and unpredictable beasts. There's no telling what they'll do behind our sleeping backs." My eyes widened when he mentioned sleeping backs. I thought back to what had happened the night before, but couldn't form the memory fast enough. All I could do was glare at him.

"It's not as if the dragons are doing this on purpose," I pointed out. Snowfire crooned in agreement as she stood next to me, glaring at Mildew the entire time.

"Actually, Mildew does have a point," Hiccup suddenly said. Mildew and I stared at Hiccup as if he had grown wings.

"What?" we asked at the same time.

"Dragons are wild animals," he explained with a shrug. "And they need us to keep an eye on them." He eyed the Hideous Zippleback before looking back at us. "And rest assured, we will do just that." As he said that the Zippleback in question woke up and started to walk away, irritated with all of the noise we were making. Hiccup narrowed his eyes when he caught sight of the dragon's footprints.

...

Hiccup had gathered all of us at the abandoned catapult shortly after to discuss his plans. My mind was still churning in confusion as I tried thinking of what had happened the night before. I wish I could remember what had happened. But every time I tried the memory got fuzzy again.

"We're going on night patrols," Hiccup announced.

"Night patrol, I love it!" Tuffnut said with a grin. Then a blank look crossed his face. "What's that?"

"It's where you patrol at night to keep an eye on the dragons," I replied while thinking of a book series I used to read as a kid. I couldn't help but smile as I thought back to a series about cats living out in the wild. Ah happy memories.

"It's just to make sure the dragons don't get blamed for anything else," Hiccup put in.

"Have you cleared this with your parents?" asked Fishlegs. "Because some of us not be allowed outside after a certain hour." He pressed his fingers together as the others glared at him.

"Not allowed, or afraid?" Snotlout started snickering until Astrid punched him in the arm.

"Hey, things happen in the dark," Fishlegs pointed out.

"Guys, we have to do this," I cut in.

"You heard Mildew," Hiccup added. "He wants the dragons banished."

"Permission to shoot first, ask questions later," Ruffnut said while saluting.

"Permission to skip questions," Tuffnut put in while slapping away his sister's hand.

"We're just patrolling!" Hiccup snapped. "Nobody is shooting anyone!" It was obvious that the twins had him exasperated. But I knew that something else was bothering him, and that same something was bothering me.

"I have a question," Tuffnut muttered and raised his hand. "What's the fun in that?"

"It's not supposed to be fun," Astrid said with a smirk. "It was Hiccup's idea."

"Exactly!" Hiccup said with a grin. Than he realized what she said and glared. I couldn't help but smirk when I noticed that he was blushing once again. "Wait, what?" By now we were both laughing as he ruffled the back of his hair in embarrassment.

...

"For the record, this has to be the worst name you could come up with," I muttered under my breath.

It was later that night we were wandering the island checking on the dragons. Hiccup had the brilliant idea of naming our group Dragon United Monitoring Brigade, otherwise known as DUMB. Honestly, I would prefer anything over that. Even SHIELD from the Marvel comics had a better Acronym. To make matters worse we were wearing sashes with the letters printed on them.

"Hey, you try coming up with something good at the last second," he retorted. I simply rolled my eyes and Snowfire flew on ahead. We were both riding our dragons over the village to get a higher vantage point.

"All I'm saying is, these sashes are probably the worst things I've ever had to wear." And that was saying a lot, considering my mom used to make me wear dresses all the time when I was younger. Hiccup just gave me a look before flying Toothless ahead.

"Well, at least we can let Mildew will be happy to know that dragons sleep at night," he muttered.

'_Mildew will not be happy until we are banished_,' Snowfire pointed out.

"Luckily that isn't going to happen." I eyed Hiccup skeptically before shaking my head.

...

It was the following morning when we all reached the Great Hall for breakfast. Last night had pretty much gone without a hitch. Other than a few of the teens bickering over how terrible the name was, it seemed our dragon problems were fine.

That was until we reached the Great Hall itself. My eyes widened in disbelief when I saw that the columns had deep scratch marks on them. Some of the tables had been scratched as well, and it looked to me like the scratch marks belonged to dragons.

"Who could've done such a terrible thing?" Stoick demanded as he took in the damage. I already had one name in mind. But I dared not say it out loud. Something told me that the Vikings were already pissed off enough with what had happened here.

"Oh, it looks like a dragon to me," Fishlegs replied in an all-too-eager tone.

"We don't know that for sure, Fishlegs," Hiccup said with a glare.

"Sure we do!" Fishlegs leaned forward and rubbed his fingers along the scratch mark. "Look at these claw marks. It's obviously a Monstrous Nightmare. The spacing of the talons is dead on—" Fishlegs stopped himself short when he realized what he was doing.

"But how could the dragons do this?" Astrid asked. "We had every dragon accounted for, right?" The twins exchanged looks like Snotlout looked a bit nervous.

"When you say 'at all times', and 'every dragon'…. What exactly do you mean?" he asked. I held back a groan of annoyance while Hiccup slapped his head.

"Okay, what happened, Snotlout?" Hiccup asked.

"Well, I was questioning a suspect, who had no respect for the sash," Snotlout started as he glared at Gobber.

"I think I'll show no respect for a sash that says 'DUMB'," Gobber replied with a smirk.

"We have got to change that name," I muttered with a shake of my head.

"Anyways, as I was question said suspect," Snotlout continued with a roll of his eyes, "Hookfang may have – and I'm not saying he did – but it is possible he may have wandered off for a few…." Snotlout paused as if searching for help.

"Seconds?" Ruffnut suggested.

"Minutes?" Tuffnut guessed.

Snotlout was quiet for a few minutes before finally speaking up again. "… hours," he finished. Everyone groaned at that.

"That's way longer than minutes," Tuffnut complained.

"Oh no," a gasp sounded from the entrance. We all turned and glared as Mildew walked in, holding on to Fungus. "The Great Hall, oh so many memories. My three weddings, their three funerals… oh the funerals." I swallowed back the vile in my throat when his voice was full of bliss.

"A dragon must've gone on a rampage," Gobber said. "I hate to say it, Stoick, but you're going to have to—"

"I know what has to be done, Gobber," Stoick snapped.

"So do I!" Mildew put in.

"Starting tonight and every night, I want those dragons put in the academy, locked up and and under keep," Stoick ordered.

"What, that's it?" Mildew nearly gasped. He truly sounded outraged as he shot us all a glare. "Look at what they did! And I'm willing to bet that girl is behind all of this, controlling the beasts like she does." I was ready to punch the living crap out of the guy when he pointed his staff at my face.

"This doesn't make any sense," Hiccup argued after glaring at Mildew. "A dragon wouldn't come in and destroy the place. I mean, none of the food was taken." He gestured towards the table where plates of food were still intact.

"I don't know why dragons do what they do, but I'm not letting them cause anymore damage," Stoick told him as the three adults left the Great Hall. A sudden uneasiness washed over me once they were gone.

"Question, why does Mildew hate Alex so much?" Tuffnut suddenly asked. I hadn't noticed until now that I was rubbing my arm up and down.

"Maybe because she's a red-head?" Snotlout suggested with a shrug. To which Astrid actually punched him in the arm, and I gave her a thankful look. I had no idea why Mildew hated me so much. And I wasn't in any hurry to find out.

...

'_I will not be put in a cage_,' Snowfire hissed when we reached the arena. I looked down at the ground in shame, realizing that she had never known the life of a caged dragon. It was early the following morning, and everyone else had put their dragons in cages moments ago.

"I'm sorry," I murmured while keeping my hand on her shoulder. It was hard knowing that something could have been done to stop this. Snowfire brushed her muzzle against my hand before backing away from the pens.

'_No human will dare lock me in that pitiful excuse for a cage_,' she suddenly snapped. Everyone looked at us in concern as the air around us suddenly got colder. White Terrors were known for regulating the temperature around them. Unfortunately for me, this happened to be one of those moments.

"Snowfire please," I begged as she made things worse.

"Calm your dragon!" Stoick ordered. I looked over my shoulder, half embarrassed and half angry with him for shouting. Gobber stood next to him arms folded and concern written across his face.

"Easy." I placed a hand on her shoulder once more, and finally Snowfire had calmed down enough to realize what she was doing. Thankfully the temperature had returned to normal as she locked gazes with me. "I know this isn't easy," I added in a whisper.

"I just don't think it's the dragons that wrecked the Great Hall," Hiccup said once things had quieted down.

"None of us wants to believe it, Hiccup," Astrid reminded him. "But you saw the proof."

"What proof?" Hiccup looked at Astrid. "You saw the prints; they were supposed to be made by a Zippleback, but they're no deeper than mine! Look at these." He gestured to a set of Zippleback prints on the snow. They were twice as deep as the ones we had seen earlier. "I could lie down in them!"

"Well, there could be a good reason the dragon left shallow footprints," Fishlegs replied.

"Like, hello!" Ruffnut said in an obnoxious voice, "it was trying to be sneaky!"

"Okay, what about the Great Hall?" Astrid asked as she brushed her bangs away from her face. Before she could ask anything else, Barf and Belch started to argue, and Hookfang roared at them. I tried not to laugh as Hookfang engulfed himself in flames.

"Snotlout, would you do something about him, please? We're trying to think," Hiccup muttered.

"Yeah, I gave up on thinking," Tuffnut said with a shrug. "Best idea I ever made."

"Snotlout?" Hiccup finally begged.

"I'm not the boss of him," Snotlout retorted. "He always does that when he's angry."

Hiccup looked at Snotlout before noticing that his left foot had a scorch mark on the ground from the flames. "That's how I can explain the Great Hall. I've got to tell dad!" He got onto Toothless and took off.

"I guess I'd better go after him," I muttered with a roll of my eyes. Snowfire looked at me warily as I climbed into her saddle and took off. Hopefully she wouldn't be this testy when we got back.

The village was oddly peaceful as we got back. I spotted Toothless standing outside the Armory and landed beside him. The Night Fury didn't look happy, and suddenly Snowfire let out a growl as well. The hair along my arms started to stand on end when I realized something wasn't right.

'_I smell something strange in the air_,' Snowfire spat. She quickly bounded over to the Armory, and Toothless followed shortly after with me trailing behind them. It didn't take me long to notice that she was right about that strange scent.

I couldn't exactly place how I recognized it. Toothless was crooning in concern as I opened the door warily. Boxes were stacked together with weapons hidden inside. Nothing really seemed out of the ordinary, aside from the strange scent.

"Wait, I know that smell." I leaned down and rubbed one of the barrels nearby carefully. My eyes widened when I felt liquid between my fingers. And not just any liquid. It was extremely flammable stuff that was still used in the modern world.

'_Out, get out now_!' I barely had enough time as a spark ignited the flammable fluid. Snowfire shielded me just in time from the heat while Toothless jumped out of the building. The ground suddenly started trembling as a massive explosion followed.

My ears were still ringing when the intense heat nearly penetrated Snowfire's wings. I wasn't even sure how she could protect herself from this heat. All I could feel now was a piercing pain as the sound began to die down, followed by the sound of falling debris.

"Toothless?" Hiccup's voice was muffled by Snowfire's wings. Finally she lifted them as the flames started to dwindle down. I looked around in horror to see that the Armory was completely destroyed. Toothless stood nearby, staring at us both with wide, concerned eyes.

"It was her!" one of the Vikings suddenly shouted. "She set the Armory on fire! I saw that girl enter the Armory with the two dragons!" Everyone started glaring at us as he pointed an accusing finger. "Next thing you know, the Armory is up in flames!"

"Alex?" Hiccup dropped the bucket he was holding. Snowfire let out another fierce snarl and wrapped her tail protectively around me. I hadn't realized until now that my arms were covered in burn marks. The others had finally gathered after seeing the damage that was done.

"Every one of our weapons, gone!" Stoick exclaimed. Gobber knelt down and picked up a bent sword, the only weapon to survive.

"Prudence! Poor thing." Gobber sniffed as he marveled at the former weapon. "I'm so sorry you didn't live a long, bloody life," he said. He threw it to the ground shortly after.

"She didn't have to die, Gobber," Mildew said. "That girl has left us totally defenseless! She and her dragon are nothing but a curse!" Soon the other Vikings were muttering in agreement. Snowfire's growls only got worse, causing a few to step back out of fear of getting attacked.

I couldn't even speak at this point. All I could do was look at Hiccup and the others desperately, hoping they would understand this wasn't my fault.

"Dad, you know Alex wouldn't do this, and neither would Toothless!" Hiccup tried grabbing Stoick by the arm, but his father only shook him off angrily.

"Listen to your boy, Stoick," Mildew sneered. "That's what got us into this mess. He trusted that wretch and led her to us. Now thanks to her we're all doomed! This is what happens when you don't keep those beasts locked up."

Hiccup's eyes widened as he glared at Mildew. "What did you say?" he demanded.

"Sandy!" Gobber had found another destroyed sword. "I guess your throat-slicing days are over!"

"These dragons have caused too much damage," Stoick announced. I felt my stomach flip when he looked at me. "It's no longer safe to have them, or you on Berk. I want them gone."

"What?" Hiccup's voice was full of disbelief. My mind was still trying to register what Stoick just said. It was like a knife had been thrown at me.

"Finally!" Mildew jumped with joy when he realized that he had won.

"Round them up, and take them to Dragon Island," Stoick ordered. "By the end of the day tomorrow, there will be no more dragons on Berk! And the same goes for you." I just stared at Stoick in disbelief as the other riders gasped at Stoick's announcement.

"What a glorious day that will be," Mildew said admirably. "Party at my house!" he shouted before walking over to Hiccup. "Don't forget boy, once you drop them off you'll be fixing my roof," he added with a sly grin.

"This is wrong," Hiccup said with a shake of his head.

'_I will rip his throat out_!' Snowfire snarled. The venom in her voice made me flinch. '_He will suffer for this_.'

I rested my hand on her shoulder, still unable to find my voice. Just when I thought I had found my place in the world, it was torn away from me. I didn't think this night could get any worse.

...

Early the next morning found us headed towards Dragon Island, where the others would drop off their dragons. I wasn't even sure where I would go. My heart felt like it had been ripped in two when I realized the consequences of Stoick's words.

"I'm going to miss you, Stormfly," Astrid whispered after she took off Stormfly's saddle. The Nadder crooned in confusion and nudged her as she gave Stormfly a final hug. Meanwhile the twins were hugging Barf and Belch's heads, each taking a turn as Fishlegs placed a pile of rocks beside Meatlug.

"Okay Meatlug, there's plenty of rocks here in case you get hungry… and don't eat any limestone. You know it doesn't agree with you." He sniffed and held back his tears as Meatlug rolled on to her side.

"Be strong buddy," Snotlout said to Hookfang. Surprisingly he actually hugged Hookfang's snout, showing obvious signs of affection. "I know you're gonna miss me." Hookfang suddenly started chasing after a bird that flew past them. "Okay…. He's crying on the inside!"

The others turned just in time to see Hiccup and I standing together. I never realized how much I would miss these people until now. Truthfully it was mostly Hiccup I would miss, though I would never say that out loud, especially with everyone watching us.

"I…. I don't know what to say," he admitted guiltily.

"Well," I began when I finally found my voice, "that makes two of us."

"Look, I know that the whole Armory thing wasn't your fault," he suddenly said while taking off Toothless' saddle. The Night Fury gave him a questioning look as he returned to my side. "I'm going to find out what really happened."

"Hiccup, even if you could prove my innocence, do you really think the others would believe you?" I asked, my voice suddenly becoming bitter. In my heart I knew the island of Berk would never truly accept me. To them I was too different, too out there to belong. Mildew had already proven that I didn't belong.

"I think Mildew is the one who set the Armory on fire." I looked at Hiccup in surprise when he said that.

"That's a, pretty serious accusation," Astrid pointed out. I didn't miss the glare she was giving me.

"Besides, if anything it's her fault we had to take the dragons here," Snotlout added. Snowfire let out another snarl that sent Snotlout running for the other side of the beach. She grunted in satisfaction once he was far enough away.

"We'll be back, I promise," Hiccup said, ignoring the others. "Just, please keep an eye on the dragons." I glanced over my shoulder to where Toothless and the others were waiting before nodding.

"I suppose that's fair enough," I murmured.

Hiccup just gave me a sad look before heading back to the waiting ships. I was taken completely by surprise when he suddenly turned and gave me a hug. I couldn't hide the blush as I hugged him back. Hopefully this wouldn't be goodbye, forever at least. All I could do now was hope that Hiccup and the others would find proof that this wasn't the dragons' fault, or mine.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I don't know why this chapter was so much fun to write XD But it was, nonetheless. On to review replies!<strong>

**silverwolvesarecool - I know right? That's why I love him :P And thanks for the recommendation, I'll have to check it out when I get the chance!**

**69759 - XD I don't know why I keep getting your name wrong. And thanks, I'll have to check them out when I get the chance. I've been rather busy lately, so I haven't really had the chance to do much other than post these chapters...**

**Cutie Kyuubi - I've learned not to take home a complete stranger, dragon or not :P But unfortunately the gang doesn't really understand that, do they?**


	22. Alvin and the Outcasts

**Chapter Twenty Two**

"_There's an old Viking saying: When your friends are roasting on a spit, you're the one who feels the fire_…."

The dragons on Dragon Island were getting restless. I watched as they tried looking for something to do or looked for their riders. Hookfang was the only one who seemed to care less that something was wrong. Snowfire had stayed with me and Toothless during our stay here.

Life here had been pretty boring. Only a couple of days had passed and I was already beginning to regret my decision to stay. Snowfire had argued that I promised I would stay. But I knew that the longer I stayed here, the worse it would get.

"I can't stand it!" I suddenly shouted as Stormfly brought me another fish. She had pretty much stayed in this general area, and was getting bored with doing nothing. I couldn't blame her for trying to find something that kept her doing. And apparently catching fish for me was good enough. "Thanks girl," I murmured while rubbing her muzzle.

Stormfly crooned in happiness before running off to chase a bird. Toothless quickly snatched up the fish before resting his muzzle on my leg. Meanwhile Barf and Belch were somewhere in the forest nearby. I hadn't seen them since the Vikings had left. Hookfang was off somewhere chasing animals with his heart's content. And Meatlug… well, she hadn't left her spot since the day the Vikings left.

'_Why are you so angry_?' Snowfire asked. She eyed me with concern as I leaned against a boulder with my arms folded. '_Are you worried about that hatchling_?' I stared at her in disbelief before scratching Toothless' chin. The Night Fury purred in contentment, happy to get some attention.

"No…." I stopped and looked down at the ash-covered ground. "Maybe… yes." I sighed and finally leaned my head against the boulder. "Would it be weird to say that I actually like him?" Snowfire hummed in amusement.

'_Of course not_,' she replied. '_Admitting your feelings will make your life easier_.' I didn't bother hiding the blush that followed. Maybe she was right about that. But it didn't make things any easier.

I decided to start exploring the island while passing the time. It was early in the morning, and a mist had formed around the island. For some reason Dragon Island was always covered in mist. Even with the Red Death gone it still had an eerie feeling to me.

The island itself was covered in mostly ash and dead trees. I'd noticed a few tufts of grass-like plants growing between rocks here and there. Smaller Terrible Terrors were flying through the sparse trees as I walked by. I spotted Hookfang trying to sun himself despite the fact that he was in the shade. With a roll of my eyes I simply walked past him.

What I saw next made me stop in my tracks. A creature with a giant, worm-like body turned and stared at me. It's head resembled that of a Typhoomerang, though it's jaw was oddly smooth like Snowfire's. It had short fins under it's chin that made it look like the dragon had a beard. What really surprised me though were it's huge wingspan. It had hook-like claws at the end of it's wings that it used to stay on the ground.

I'd only seen this creature in the Book of Dragons, once. It let out a fierce growl before lowering it's head. The dragon was known as a Timberjack, fiercely territorial and quick to anger. But to my surprise the Timberjack didn't seem aggressive. Instead it gave me a wary sniff before watching me intensely.

"What are you… doing?" I asked nervously as I reached out my hand. The Timberjack simply growled once again before brushing my hand with it's muzzle. I just stared at the creature in awe as it roared and took off, flying away from the island. Once the dragon was gone I remained where I was standing.

What the hell just happened? I thought back to how much Torch the Typhoomerang followed me around. And Spikes had easily gotten along with me as well. This wasn't something that happened to normal people. Then again I never considered myself to be normal.

I smirked at the thought and shook my head. Well, I guess this meant I was going insane. I don't recall Hiccup ever mentioning there being a Timberjack on Dragon Island either. Maybe my boredom had finally gotten the better of me and my imagination was just trying to keep me sane.

Once I got back to the beach I noticed that Toothless was staring longingly at the ocean. Snowfire must have taken off to catch more fish with the others. I let out a sigh, still slightly shaken from my earlier experience and sat down cross-legged on the pebbly beach.

"So, think that the others managed to convince Stoick it wasn't me?" I rested my chin in my hands as Toothless turned and made a crooning noise. His eyes were round with worry as he turned to stare at me. "Something wrong?" I eyed Toothless warily as he shifted his gaze back to the ocean.

Clearly something was bothering him. And maybe it was time to figure out what that something was.

...

"For those of you who haven't figured it out, I am the one and only Alvin the Treacherous." The man with an unruly black beard sneered at the group of Vikings captured on the beach. "And let me be clear, that name was earned."

"Alvin?" Tuffnut repeated with a scoff, much to the amusement of his sister. "How'd he earn that?"

"Your leader abandoned you, but Stoick doesn't concern me. I'm not here for him," Alvin reassured them. "I want the Dragon Conqueror, and that girl you took in."

"Say goodbye to Hiccup," Mildew said to Astrid with a smirk. "Alvin—"

Astrid stopped him before he could continue by elbowing him in the face. She was quick to catch him as he started falling. "My grandfather's frail, he needs his nap," she explained with an innocent smile. Alvin eyed her suspiciously, but he walked away, and she dropped Mildew once he was gone.

"Like I said," Alvin continued, "tell me who the Dragon Conqueror is, and give me the girl, and I might let you all go free."

"A Conqueror?" Snotlout scoffed. "I uh… might not know much about the girl you're talking about, but I'll show you a conqueror!" Snotlout took out his club and started charging at Alvin. But the leader of the Outcasts turned and glared. Snotlout stopped in his tracks and suddenly handed him the club. "For you, sir." Ruffnut shook her head in disgust while Tuffnut facepalmed.

"Well, you better check your trousers, son," Alvin told him while shoving Snotlout aside. "I think you soiled yourself."

Astrid than threw her battle axe at Alvin, hoping that she could end this before it could get worse. But instead Alvin caught it and tsked his tongue.

"Will you look at that?" he asked while marveling at the weapon. "It's me old hatchet! I was wondering when I'd get it back."

"Trying to kill Alvin the Treacherous?" Savage grabbed Astrid by the arm and threw her onto the platform that Alvin was standing on. "You're not as smart as you look, lass." Tell me where the Dragon Conqueror is, and that girl, eh?" Then Alvin pulled her ponytail and scowled. "Tell me!"

"Leave her alone!" Hiccup suddenly spoke up. He climbed out of his hiding place and glared at Alvin. Whatever Alvin wanted with Alex couldn't be anything good. But he wasn't going to let this man hurt Astrid or the others, not if he could stop them.

"Hiccup!" Astrid cried when she realized what he was doing. "What are you doing?"

"I'm the Dragon Conqueror," Hiccup announced. Alvin just stared at him in disbelief before laughing his head off. Hiccup's fists clenched when he realized why Alvin was laughing. No one expected a scrawny looking kid like him to hold such a title.

"You?" he asked after catching his breath. "Stoick's little embarrassment?"

"I'm the one who drove the dragons away from Berk," he explained. It took a lot of courage to speak up now. He knew just how dangerous Alvin was now. "Look around, you don't see any dragons around here, do you?"

Alvin looked at the sky as if to see whether or not Hiccup was right. And sure enough there were no dragons in sight. Hiccup gave a faint nod to Astrid, who nodded back, though still had a look of confusion in her eyes.

"It's true," she suddenly spoke up. "All of the dragons are afraid of him. He even conquered a Night Fury." Alvin suddenly drew out his sword and pressed it against Astrid's neck. She held back the sudden fear of what he might do next.

"Don't try me, lass," he threatened. "I've heard the tales of a girl riding a White Terror. No mortal has ever dared try such a thing."

"Let me show you that we're telling the truth," Hiccup said after taking a deep breath. Whoever had told Alvin about Snowfire was already likely long gone. He didn't want to think that someone on the island had told the Outcast's leader. "Take me to Dragon Island."

"Fine," Alvin muttered after giving his request some thought. "You lot stay here. The rest of us are taking a trip to Dragon Island, with the so called Dragon Conqueror."

"What about the girl, Alvin?" Savage asked. Alvin smirked before shoving Hiccup towards one of their ships.

"Knowing this boy he'll lead us right to her." Hiccup glanced over his shoulder as they left the beach. That was exactly what he hoped for. Knowing Toothless he would warn the others of the oncoming threat, if all went according to plan.

Once the group had left an eerie silence followed. Astrid had been thinking of what Hiccup said. He spent a lot of his time with Toothless, but she knew that he also spent most of his time with Alex. Before he had taken down the Red Death she didn't think much of him. But now, it was like a sudden surge of jealousy coursed through her.

She hadn't realized how much she _liked_ Hiccup. He was so much more than just a scrawny boy who could barely lift an axe. Because of him and Alex there was peace between dragons and humans, for now. If Alvin got a hold of the Book of Dragons, it could start an all out war.

Suddenly, two of the Outcasts standing guard were knocked to the ground unconscious. Another Outcast turned around just in time to get knocked out by Stoick, who seemed to appear out of nowhere. Stoick let out a sigh of satisfaction before turning to face the teens.

"Where's Alvin?" he demanded.

"He took Hiccup," Astrid replied.

"What?" Stoick's eyes grew wide with horror.

"He gave himself up," Astrid explained, her voice suddenly growing cold. "They're on their way to Dragon Island. Alvin mentioned something about needing Alex as well." She hadn't realized until now that her fists were clenched, to the point where her nails were crawling blood.

"We need to find them before this gets out of hand," Stoick said. Astrid's eyes narrowed in confusion before she nodded in agreement. Find Hiccup before they reached Dragon Island. That didn't sound like too much of a challenge. But she knew he had more than one reason to get back to Dragon Island, and Hiccup's determination would always get the better of him.

...

"I'm getting worried," I muttered after trying to offer Toothless some fish. Once again the Night Fury turned my offer down, growling as he stared off into the distance. "He's been standing there for hours. Hasn't even budged."

'_I can sense that something is not right_,' Snowfire replied. I looked at her in concern before shaking my head. Dragons seemed to have some kind of sixth sense. I wasn't even sure what to call it; it was like they could sense when danger was approaching or something.

"So, you think this 'danger' has something to do with what's been happening?" I asked warily. With all due respect to Berk, I really did want to leave as soon as possible. It was obvious I had no place there what with everything Mildew and the others had said.

'_Unfortunately, it is something far worse_.' Before I could ask what she meant by that, Snowfire inclined her head towards the ocean. My eyes narrowed at once when I saw what she was looking at. A ship was headed in our direction. Whether or not it was a Berk ship, I didn't care. I just knew that it wasn't safe around here anymore.

"Come on, let's go before they see us." I got up and tried moving Toothless out of the way, but he refused to budge, instead giving a growl of annoyance and shaking me off. "Look, I promised Hiccup I wouldn't let anything happen to you," I muttered crossly.

Toothless just turned to look at me before locking eyes with mine. We stood there in awkward silence until he dipped his head in understanding. I held back a sigh of relief as Toothless and the other dragons followed us further into the burnt forest.

I stopped far enough away so that I could peer over the boulder we hid beneath. Toothless' eyes widened with recognition as if he picked up something familiar in the air. I was ready to stop him when I saw a familiar figure standing on the beach.

'_Those are different humans_,' Snowfire hissed. Her pupils suddenly grew small as a look of sheer anger crossed her face. '_Dragon killers_!' Snowfire reacted faster than my mind could process what just happened. She lunged forward and grabbed hold of the nearest invader, tossing him aside like a rag doll.

"Snowfire?" Hiccup's voice was full of confusion until he spotted Toothless standing not far away.

"So, the stories are true!" A man with a tangled looking black beard laughed as Snowfire let out a roar of defiance. "And here I thought you were just a legend."

'_Keep your mouth shut, or I will rip it out_!' Snowfire practically shrieked.

"Wait, stop!" I jumped out of my hiding place just in time. Snowfire was ready to fire at them all until I jumped onto her saddle, clinging on her neck for dear life. "Snowfire, please don't," I gasped when she pulled back, hissing in outrage. "They may be assholes but that's no reason to kill them."

"And you must be the girl I've heard of," the man suddenly spat. "We've been looking for you." Thankfully Snowfire had stopped long enough for me to give Hiccup one look. He caught the look in my eyes before rushing over to Toothless.

"Yeah? And why would that be?" I demanded while trying to keep Snowfire from attacking them again.

"Someone mentioned they missed their little girl," the man replied in a sneer. I felt my blood run cold as Snowfire stopped growling in anger. "I'm guessing you already know who that someone is." His face scowled in disgust as he drew out his sword. "We were told he would pay us dearly for bringing back his own flesh and blood, and I never turn a good offer down."

"Hey, Alvin!" Hiccup's voice cut in from behind. Alvin looked behind Snowfire in confusion, than his eyes widened in disbelief. "I'm not really the Dragon Conqueror. It's Dragon Trainer!" Toothless let out a roar before flying over us.

"Great Thunder of Thor! He _is_ the Dragon Conqueror!" Alvin gasped. I rolled my eyes as Snowfire took flight and followed them. "Fire! Don't let them escape!"

"Look out!" I called as a boulder flew in Hiccup's direction. Toothless turned just in time to avoid getting hit by the boulders. Snowfire easily dodged them as she flew in an odd pattern.

'_Forgive me_,' she suddenly said.

"Hey, the guy probably does deserve to die after what he said," I muttered after patting her neck reassuringly.

'_I should have killed him sooner_,' she growled. I felt a shudder run down my back as arrows were aimed in our direction. Snowfire veered to the left and quickly disintegrated them. It didn't take me long to realize that we weren't the only ones in the air.

"What took you so long?" Hiccup demanded when Astrid joined us.

"Why?" she countered with a smirk. "Did you miss us?"

"Why don't we show this bastard what real dragon riders can do?" I suggested. Hiccup smirked while Astrid nodded in agreement.

We continued dodging the boulders and arrows just as the others joined us on their dragons. "We've got to get in closer!" Hiccup ordered. Then I noticed that the Berk ship had moved in to position.

"Aim for the catapults," Stoick shouted. "If we knock them out, the dragons can finish off their ship." All of the Vikings on the ship got into position and took aim. "Fire!" It didn't take long for the boulders to land on Alvin's ship. I watched with a smirk of satisfaction as their small group fled away from the line of fire.

"Move off shore!" Alvin ordered. His men started to move the ship into open waters. That was when we saw our chance.

"Here's our chance! Come on!"

We all swooped in and started attacking the ship. Snowfire made sure that she left the most amount of damage, leaving a frustrated Alvin glaring at us. He turned to a muscular looking man and started giving orders. "Shoot that dragon down!" he shouted, pointing towards Snowfire. The man aimed the catapult behind the sail where we were flying past. "Fire!"

'_Hold on_!' I watched in horror as the boulder ripped through the sail, flying towards us. Snowfire started spinning to avoid getting hit, but in the process I was barely hanging on to the saddle. I held back a cry of shock as I started falling off and landed on the ship down below.

"Alex!" Hiccup cried, and flew towards the ship.

Alvin was quick to grab me by the arm and grinned triumphantly. "Welcome aboard, lass," he sneered and looked at his men. "Don't miss this time." The men started firing more arrows at Toothless, but luckily he was able to dodge all of them. "I won't be losing you so easily this time," he added while eying me curiously.

"I'd be careful with what you say, bastard," I snapped as I elbowed him hard in the stomach. Alvin let out a gasp of surprise at the sudden impact; his men were too preoccupied with taking down the other riders to notice.

"Fire into the water!" Hiccup's shout sounded from above. Alvin had recovered in time to grab me once again as I tried getting away.

"Fire!" Alvin ordered as a steam began forming around the ship.

"At what?" one of his men asked.

"Everything!"

All of the men started firing their arrows at anything that moved, or when they saw a shadow in the steam. I noticed for the first time that there was fear in Alvin's eyes. A shadow began falling on the ship, and he quickly drew out his sword and charged.

Another ship had rammed into theirs, and it didn't take me long to realize it was one of Berk's. Without warning I whacked Alvin in the head and face with a pale and made a run for it. I spotted Hiccup and Toothless flying down, knocking down Alvin in the process.

"Alex, hop on!" Hiccup called as Toothless reached out for my arms.

Stoick than jumped on the ship and punched Alvin in the face as he started to get up again. "You're a coward for taking my son," he snapped.

"Heh, you have no idea what you've brought upon yourself, Stoick," Alvin sneered. I landed on Snowfire's back once she had flown close enough. Now we were flying close enough to the ship that we could hear what they were saying. "You've all doomed yourselves by letting that wretch on to your island."

Hiccup and I exchanged looks as Stoick was kneed in the chest. I already had a feeling I knew what Alvin was talking about. When Alvin tried punching him, Stoick ducked and punched him in the stomach before performing a left uppercut that knocked Alvin out.

'_I would sooner eat an eel than let that man take you_,' Snowfire hissed as Alvin got back to his feet and attacked again. I rubbed her neck gently, thankful for the silent support she was giving me. The two had started fighting again as Alvin grabbed the rope holding on to an anchor and tried throwing it at Stoick.

"Whoa, I've never seen your dad fight so hard!" Tuffnut said as Barf and Belch hovered beside us.

Finally Stoick grabbed Alvin and pulled the man towards him. Then he wrapped the rope around Alvin's hands and punched him in the face. Once his work was finished, Stoick managed to push Alvin in the water and pull apart the two ships and jumped onto it.

"Now, Hiccup! Burn the ship!" he yelled.

"Here we go guys, hit 'em with everything you've got," Hiccup told us as we swooped down towards the ship.

'_It would be my genuine pleasure_,' Snowfire hummed as she shot a blast of fire at the ship. The men in question jumped out of the ship as plasma blasts, gas and sparks were thrown in their direction. It didn't take long for the ship itself to explode.

All of the Vikings Stoick had taken with him were gathered as we landed shortly after.

"Hiccup, what were you thinking?" he demanded.

"I was thinking…. All I needed to do was get Toothless, and together, we'd make things right," Hiccup explained as he patted Toothless on the head. The other Viking teens cheered as they continued riding their dragons back to Berk.

'_I have every right to burn your face to a crisp_,' Snowfire hissed at Stoick. '_It is because of men like you that I do not trust humans_.' Stoick actually looked a little embarrassed as I held on to her, careful that she didn't actually attack him.

"Banishing you with the dragons was a mistake," Stoick explained after glancing at Hiccup. "I understand that now. Can you forgive me?" His question caught me by surprise.

"I…. I forgive you," I murmured, blushing a little at the look Hiccup gave me.

"There's still something that's been bugging me," Hiccup suddenly said. I looked at him warily, already half knowing what he would say next. "What Alvin said back there, about someone looking for you, what did he mean by that?"

"Hiccup, there are some things about me that you and your village shouldn't know," I quickly replied while looking away. I bit the bottom of my lip as I realized how much danger I was putting him and his people in. If what Alvin had said was true, than there was a real possibility that the man I'd hated most of my life was here in this world. A few seconds of awkward silence passed before I finally sighed and explained my situation.

"If I tell you the truth, you have to promise that it won't change the way things are now," I suddenly told them both. Stoick and Hiccup exchanged looks before nodding in agreement. "First off, I've already told you that I'm not from this world." I paused to make sure that Stoick understood what that meant. Hiccup had already known from the moment we met that I wasn't from his world, and had accepted that fact. Thankfully Stoick had nodded in understanding once again. "When I was younger, I had an abusive father," I explained warily. "To the point where he would get drunk almost every night and take his anger out on me."

I could already see the anger and realization in Hiccup's eyes. Stoick remained oddly silent as I took a moment to catch my breath.

"When I was six, my father finally disappeared without a trace," I continued after trying to fight back the bitter memories. "In my world there are people known as cops who tried to figure out what happened. We finally decided that he just packed up and left us…." I stopped as I thought of the dream that had haunted me nights ago.

"So, you think whoever is looking for you is your father?" Stoick suggested. His voice was quiet as he let this new information sink in.

"I think that my father ended up here just like me," I replied with a nod. "Somehow it's connected." I added the last part with a shrug, trying to fight back the tears that were threatening to show. The last thing I needed now was to cry.

"If what you said about your father's true, than it's likely he'll come to Berk looking for you," Stoick suddenly pointed out. It felt like my stomach was doing somersaults when he said that.

"I don't want to put your island in danger," I murmured as Snowfire nudged my hand gently. I couldn't even find the courage to tell her what he did, and I hadn't told them everything my father did. Maybe it was better they didn't know just how terrible he was.

"Dad?" Hiccup looked at Stoick warily as he rubbed his beard thoughtfully. Finally he reached out a hand and put in on my shoulder, causing me to flinch involuntarily.

"You belong on Berk as much as the dragons do," he replied. "Besides, we've dealt with worse people." He added the last part with a shrug, though doubt still clouded my thoughts. I had a feeling that they were in for the shock of their lives.

...

Vikings were cheering for our return as the ship made port. It was close to sunset by the time we got back, and I was exhausted. It had taken us almost a day and a half to get back on boat. But now that we were back I did feel a little relieved.

Much to my surprise Stoick and Hiccup had remained oddly quiet during our trip back. The other teens had started asking what was going on, but Hiccup had just replied with a shrug before walking away. All the while I had stayed with Snowfire most of the time, trying to keep away as I thought back to everything I revealed.

"You here that bud?" Hiccup asked while patting Toothless on the head. "You're back home." When the ship was docked the crowd of Vikings started running down to greet us.

"What are you all cheering about?" Mildew demanded. Snowfire let out an irritated snarl, but I held her back. "Don't you remember what these beasts and that girl have done?"

"I do," Stoick said approaching the old man. "They were framed for something they didn't do, and they saved our lives." The glare Stoick gave was enough to silence Mildew.

"And I may not be able to prove what you've done," said Hiccup as we walked past, "But I will never forget it."

'_The next time you try pulling off such a stunt_,' Snowfire said in a warning growl, '_I _will_ bite your head off and personally throw it in the ocean_.' Mildew's face paled at the ferocity in her voice. All the while I glared at him as we walked past.

Some of the secrets I held were probably better off staying as such. I trusted Hiccup enough that he wouldn't tell the others what had been said back on the ship. He had set out to prove that the dragons and I were innocent. I would never forget what he did to help me, and would always cherish that moment we had on the beach.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well, this chapter was definitely more fun to write then the last XD There was lots of foreshadowing in it, and you learn how much of an ass Alex's father was.<strong>

**silverwolvesarecool - That's awesome! I wouldn't mind training a dragon XD And thanks, your review is always appreciated :)**

**69759 - Thanks :) I think I actually am going to follow the episodes, than lead off to the second movie before branching off into my own story. Which means this is gonna be a long FF.**

**Guest - You're more than welcome to :P**

**Sofabox12 - First off, thank you for taking the time to review! They're always appreciated! And second off, I'm actually kind of basing their relationship on how slow the progress was between Hiccup and Astrid in the first movie and show. It may seem slow, but Alex has gone through a lot of crap between her father and other things she hasn't mentioned yet, which explains why she's so reluctant to call Hiccup more than just a friend ;) But don't worry, that will definitely change in the long-run! And thirdly, I actually like the idea of Loki being the cause behind her appearing in their world, I might just have to use that :P**


	23. How To Pick Your Dragon

**Chapter Twenty Three**

Here on Berk, everything has been done the Viking way. Since the dragons arrived, the Viking way has become, well, the hard way. Unfortunately, some people, like Stoick the Vast, refused to change their old ways.

I landed Snowfire next to Hiccup and Toothless on the docks to find Stoick, Gobber, and some other Vikings already gathered. My eyes widened in surprise when I saw them pulling in a broken ship.

"I think we've seen this before," I muttered as I remembered what the Red Death had done. Berk had lost several ships because of that monstrous queen. This wasn't nearly as damaged, but it seemed just as bad.

"What happened?" asked Hiccup.

"It's that rogue dragon again," Gobber explained to the two of us. "That's the second boat it destroyed."

"Well, we lost another whole catch," Stoick informed us. "We could have saved it had we gotten there sooner."

"I know how you could've gotten there sooner," Hiccup said, gesturing slightly to Toothless and Snowfire.

Stoick let out an irritated sigh. "Here we go again," he grumbled. I rolled my eyes at his stubbornness. This wasn't the first time he had heard this song and dance. And I'm sure he would turn down Hiccup's offer once again.

"If you had flown there on a dragon, you would've been there in five minutes instead of two hours," I pointed out. Especially if he was riding a fast dragon like Toothless or Snowfire. Both dragons crooned in agreement as Hiccup nodded in agreement.

"And then you would've been able to chase that rogue dragon away for good," he finished for me. I already knew what Stoick would say before he said it.

"I am the Chief of Berk," he reminded us.

"And you do things the Viking way, not the dragon way," I said with a smirk. Stoick folded his arms and glared, but he didn't say anything.

"Well, the 'Viking way' is costing us our fish and almost as many boats," Hiccup pointed out, gesturing towards the broken ships.

"The two do have a good point," Gobber said. "If you were on a dragon, you could protect this island from a lot of things; even Alvin. And don't forget about that spy who tried framed the dragons, and Alex."

"Right!" Hiccup grinned as his father started to consider our reasoning. "You could use a dragon to—"

"Both you and Alex are right, Gobber," Stoick suddenly said, ignoring Hiccup. "Alvin knows we have dragons, and the girl. He'll be back." I resisted the urge to roll my eyes once again. Leave it to Stoick to make it seem like he had come up with the idea.

"You know what those dragons did, they had Alvin on the run," Gobber replied with a nod, gesturing to Toothless and Snowfire. "Imagine if you had been the one commanding them."

"I'm listening," Stoick said while rubbing his beard thoughtfully.

"But clearly not to me," Hiccup muttered.

"I can see it now! A proud chief ruling his domain flying above on a fearsome fire-breathing reptile!" Gobber started shivering with excitement at his own exclamation. "Ooh, gives me goosebumps. Or is that you, Snowfire?"

She only rolled her eyes and let out a puff of snow that covered his face and head. '_I have no reason to freeze you humans_,' she muttered crossly. Gobber shook off the snow and grinned sheepishly. Hiccup took a step forward and tried getting his father's attention.

"That's what I've been trying to—"

"Gobber's right!" Stoick announced, ignoring Hiccup once again. He turned to face the two of us, having noticed that I was glaring. "I need to learn how to fly. When do we start the lessons?"

"I don't know, shouldn't we ask Gobber?" Hiccup grumbled with a bit of sarcasm. He crossed his arms as Stoick looked at us in surprise.

"Well, I don't really have a preference," Gobber replied with a shrug. "But sooner is always better, don't you think?"

Stoick nodded in agreement while Hiccup just stared at them in disbelief. All that kept me from yelling at the both of them was the fact that Stoick had the power to throw me out. I know that Hiccup had the power to stop his father, but knowing Stoick he would refuse to listen again.

"Remind me again how you two are related?" I asked in a whisper. Hiccup just facepalmed as Stoick and Gobber left the docks, talking about how they would run the island with the help of a dragon. "I'm just saying, you two are nothing alike, other than your stubbornness."

"Let's just hope that this doesn't backfire on me, again," he muttered crossly. I nodded in agreement as we headed back to the plaza. Knowing Stoick he was about to make his life ten times worse.

...

I spent that afternoon watching Hiccup try and teach his father how to fly on Toothless. Things didn't improve much as Stoick tried taking control before he was given instructions. Being the stubborn man he was, he just had to prove that he knew what he was doing.

All the while I was trying not to laugh at the sight. Stoick had kicked Toothless' sides, causing the Night Fury to take off without warning. Snowfire hummed in amusement as Toothless shot off like a rocket. Hiccup was clinging on to his dad for dear life until they finally slowed down.

"Remember, the tail and wings controls everything," Hiccup said as they started spiraling towards a rock.

"I know that!" Stoick retorted.

"Then why are we flying towards that rock?" Hiccup was pointing towards a sea stack they were flying after.

"Because you're distracting me!" Stoick yelled back.

"Just let out the—"

"The tail, I know!" Stoick snapped. I watched on in amusement as Stoick finally pressed down on the stirrup and got the tail to work. Toothless rose into the air just as he was about to hit the sea stack.

"Left!" Hiccup cried as they were headed for another sea stack. Stoick sent Toothless spiraling in the wrong direction. "The other left!" Hiccup shouted again, bracing himself for the sudden impact.

"Dragon's fault," Stoick retorted as they steered away from another sea stack. Toothless had barely missed hitting the sea stack, and by now I could see how horrified Hiccup was. I tried to hide my smirk as they flew past me. Then Stoick turned back towards the ocean, unexpectedly diving further and further towards the water.

"Slow down!" Hiccup shouted.

"I'm trying!" Stoick practically bellowed. I watched once again as Stoick pressed down hard on the stirrup; Toothless had finally leveled out at the last minute sending a spray of water in the process. "See?"

With a shake of my head I walked back over to where Snowfire was waiting. She had been watching from a distance, a smirk written across her face the entire time. Her tail flapped irritably when I approached her.

"Looks like they'll be gone for a while," I muttered.

'_Then perhaps this would be a chance to get away_,' she replied. I nodded in agreement before climbing into her saddle. After everything that had happened with Alvin and the Outcasts incident, I needed some time alone to think.

What Alvin had said left me worrying that something really was going to happen. Stoick had reassured me that the Vikings had dealt with worse people. But he had no idea what he was dealing with when it came to my dad. My dad made just about every other human look good.

"I wish there was some way I could find out if Alvin was telling the truth," I said with a shake of my head. We were flying in the opposite direction of Toothless, Hiccup and Stoick.

'_The only way you could do that is if you returned to your own world_,' Snowfire reminded me. I patted her neck after realizing that she was probably right. The cops had said that he was probably murdered or ran off. They never really did fully explain what had happened.

"Maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing," I sighed and leaned back against the saddle. Snowfire made a crooning sound and dove lower towards the ocean.

'_Why would you want to go back there_?' she demanded, her voice suddenly cold, no pun intended. I rolled my eyes and thought back to the reasons why. Truth be told I missed my world. All of the friends I had made probably moved on and forgot about me. I wasn't even sure what had happened to my mom. I could still picture her in the kitchen, face buried in her hands as if she had been crying.

"My mom probably thinks I'm dead." My voice dropped to a whisper. God, I hadn't realized how much I actually missed her. Despite all of the fights we'd had in the past, I knew that deep down she cared for me, and I cared for her.

'_So, you are worried about your birth mother_,' Snowfire concluded. I looked at her in surprise before nodding. '_Perhaps it is best to forget_. _There is no way back to your world, as far as I know_.' That was easier said than done. And I wasn't in any hurry to forget the only family I had ever known.

"Let's go back," I finally said. I didn't want to spend too much time here without making people worry. Of course from what I had gathered Hiccup was the only one who seemed to care whether or not I was gone. Again I couldn't hide the blush as I thought of that.

Fortunately Snowfire wasted no time in returning to Berk. When we got back I spotted Toothless circling one of the fields. I smirked when I saw yaks were tipped over on their sides as we got closer. It didn't take a genius to know who was behind this latest yak tipping.

"I want every one of those yaks back on their feet!" Stoick shouted as Toothless zoomed past the twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut. I tried not to laugh as the twins looked up in confusion and surprise.

'_What sort of fool plays that game_?' Snowfire asked as we landed nearby.

"The ones who don't think very much," I replied with a grin. Snowfire only rolled her eyes as we headed back for my place.

...

The next morning I found myself humming the same tune my mom had sang to me when I was younger. To my surprise and relief I hadn't had any nightmares lately. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but at least I finally got some decent sleep now.

My happy mood changed however when I walked outside. Snowfire was following me when Toothless slammed clumsily into several roofs. Snowfire was crooning with laughter as Toothless finally landed in front of Hiccup's house, after crashing into several other homes.

"Dad?" Hiccup immediately left the front steps and ran over to Toothless, who looked utterly exhausted. "Dad, what are you doing?"

"Kicking butts and taking names, that's what," Stoick replied cheerfully as he got off of Toothless.

"Oh, Toothless," Hiccup sighed as he glanced between Toothless and his father.

"We've been all over Berk," Stoick explained with a triumphant smile. "Chiefing has never been easier."

"Yeah, but Toothless is my dragon," Hiccup reminded him.

"You picked a good one," Stoick said, placing a hand on his shoulders. He than walked towards the house, "just came back to grab me hatch. We're helping Jorgenson break down a fence."

"Yeah, that's great, but you have to understand that Toothless is a—"

"Oh, you're right; I don't need my hatch. Toothless can just blow the fence down with his plasma blasts," Stoick explained as he got back onto Toothless. "Up dragon," he ordered after kicking Toothless' side once again.

I winced when I saw the look Toothless was giving Hiccup. He was practically begging for this to be over. "Don't worry bud, I can fix this," Hiccup reassured him. Toothless flew up in the air shortly after. "See you then Toothless, I really hope."

'_I would sooner bite his hand off than let him ride me like that_,' Snowfire hissed once they were gone. I nodded in agreement, though I didn't say anything. I'd never seen Toothless look so miserable. And Stoick wasn't making anything easier for him.

It had taken Stoick most of the day to finish his work. Hiccup and I were sitting on the steps leading to the Great Hall when Toothless finally landed. Once Stoick got off Toothless actually looked relieved to not have a rider on his back.

"You see that?" Hiccup asked once Stoick was gone. "That's what it looks like to me being ridden by a four hundred pound man."

"Hey, at least you got your dad on a dragon," I pointed out with a sheepish grin. Seeing the pitiful look Toothless gave us made me almost regret saying that.

"Yeah, now I just have to figure out how to get him off of one," Hiccup sighed in frustration.

"Why not just tell him what he wants to hear before telling him the truth?" I suggested. "I'm just saying, people always want to hear the good news before they get the bad news," I added with a shrug.

"I guess I could try that." Hiccup smiled before standing up. "I just hope this works for Toothless' sake."

...

The following afternoon we were all gathered in the arena. Hiccup had led Stoick into the arena after discussing with us his plans. He was hopeful that Stoick would choose another dragon that he could take on his patrols.

"The finest dragon species on the island," Hiccup introduced them all to Stoick. All of the dragons were lined up with their respected rider. I stood next to Snowfire as she glared at Stoick, who looked equally uneasy.

"Not to mention their the only dragons we've trained," I mumbled under my breath. Snowfire crooned in agreement before nudging my hand once again. I patted her on the head as Stoick approached us. She had already made it obvious that she wasn't in any hurry to have him as her rider.

"They're all represented right here in the academy," Hiccup explained. Snotlout chose that moment to approach Stoick, a look of pride on his face as Hookfang growled in annoyance.

"But, the Monstrous Nightmare is the only one with brawn and prestige for men of our stature," he began as he showed off Hookfang to Stoick. "Hop on board; feel the Monstrous Nightmare difference. And on cold winter nights, his whole body heats up just enough to keep you cozy. Let me heat 'em up for you." Why did I suddenly feel like I was in the middle of a car commercial?

'_You just keep telling yourself that you are the best_,' Snowfire retorted. As soon as Stoick was on Hookfang's back, Snotlout flicked Hookfang's horn, causing the dragon to engulf himself in flames and glare down at his owner. Unfortunately for Stoick, his pants caught on fire, causing him to shout and jump off of Hookfang. Snowfire was quick to put the fire out, earning a sigh of relief from Stoick.

"So, should I put you down for one or…." Snotlout stopped as the chief glared at him. "They come in an assortment of colors!" Next up were Astrid and Stormfly.

"Just because she's beautiful, people think she's not tough," Astrid began while patting Stormfly on the shoulder. "But you should never underestimate me – I mean, her – uh, us." Astrid smirked and placed her hands behind her back.

"Well, she is a beauty," Stoick admitted as he reached out to touch Stormfly's snout.

"Wait, careful with the—" Astrid didn't get the chance to finish as Stormfly fired her quills. Luckily Stoick ducked before the quills could hit him. Snotlout stepped out and smirked at Astrid and Stoick once the danger passed.

"The Monstrous Nightmare's looking a little better now, huh, Chief?" I watched with amusement as Stoick ignored Snotlout, than turned to Barf and Belch. The two dragons were arguing so much that he didn't bother looking over them.

Stoick than approached Snowfire, but she was already backing away while glaring at him.

'_Do not touch me, human_,' she snapped. Stoick narrowed his eyes at her, than gave me the same look before folding his arms.

"Hey, she said it, not me," I said with a shrug.

"Next!" Stoick was left with the Gronckle, Meatlug.

"Let me tell you, what you're really looking for is loyalty. A dragon who will be there for you no matter what," Fishlegs explained, but than he started getting sentimental. I tried not to smirk at the look Stoick gave him as he went on, "the last face you see at night, and the first face you see in the morning, warming the bed when it's cold outside, a shoulder to cry on when the world's against you. How could you not love a Gronckle?"

Hiccup and Stoick exchanged a look as Fishlegs started tearing up and hugged Meatlug. Meatlug in turn licked him affectionately as Stoick folded his arms once more. I was struggling not to laugh at the sight. This was one of those 'Kodak' moments.

"Sorry, son," Stoick said while putting a hand on Fishlegs' shoulder. "But I'm looking for a dragon, not a mother." Fishlegs only sniffed and looked away as Stoick glanced at Hiccup. "I haven't seen anyone that can hold a candle to a Night Fury, other than Snowfire, and I really would like to keep my arms."

"Me neither," Hiccup replied with a shake of his head. Toothless trotted over to his side and he placed his arm over the Night Fury. "But Toothless is the only Night Fury on Berk, and he's mine."

"Stoick!" Gobber shouted as he ran over to us. "Another boat is being attacked! It's the rogue dragon again!"

"Let's go!" Hiccup got on to the saddle, but as he tried putting his foot in the stirrup, he realized his father had beaten him to it.

"Oh, sorry, what was I thinking?" he asked. Sarcasm was dripping from his voice as Stoick sat in front of him. "At least he blocks the wind," he grumbled as Toothless took off with Snowfire and I close behind.

Soon the ship in question came into view. Toothless had fallen behind several times as Stoick tried controlling him. I looked over my shoulder in time to see the look in Toothless' eyes. With a shake of my head we surged forward to see Mulch and Bucket on the boat, trying to avoid getting hit by a strange looking dragon.

My eyes widened when I recognized it from the Book of Dragons. It was a blue Thunderdrum, zooming past the ship and terrorizing the sailors. It dove into the water and seconds later flew out before letting out an ear-splitting scream.

'_Incredible_!' Snowfire hissed as she flew past the beast. '_The creature is defending it's territory_,' she added once we were far enough away. Luckily the Thunderdrum hadn't spotted us. It was so focused on the ship that it didn't notice Toothless approaching.

Suddenly Toothless fired a plasma blast at the Thunderdrum. The Thunderdrum let out a roar and started flying towards them, but Toothless fired another plasma blast. The blue-scaled dragon was quick to turn and flee by diving back into the water.

Toothless landed on the ship's deck followed shortly after by Snowfire.

"I think we've scared him off," Hiccup said.

"We've got to get everyone out of here," I continued. "That Thunderdrum was just defending it's territory."

"Come on lads!" Stoick said as he got off of Toothless. "We'll escort you back to shore. You'll have no more—" Stoick never had the chance to finish that sentence. The Thunderdrum had wrapped it's tail around his waist and pulled him into the water.

"No more what?" Bucket yelled, leaning over the ship's edge.

"Dad!" Hiccup cried.

"This is bad." Snowfire crooned in agreement as we saw nothing but bubbles.

"Um, Stoick can swim, right?" Mulch asked, placing a hand on Hiccup's shoulder.

The Thunderdrum suddenly flew out of the water, with Stoick clinging on to it's snout. Then it rammed Stoick into the wall of the boat, soaking us all in the process.

"He's a fighter!" Stoick shouted with a happy grin as he punched the Thunderdrum. The Thunderdrum started charging after Stoick once it recovered. "He's got spunk!" Stoick grinned as the Thunderdrum tackled him again. "This is the one, Hiccup! I found my dragon!" He wrapped a net around the Thunderdrum, holding it down so that it couldn't take off again. "Now all you have to do is train him for me."

Hiccup and I just stared blankly at the chief. Mulch and Bucket must have felt the same way, because seconds later they dropped their oars.

...

We got back to the arena later that day. The Thunderdrum had been locked up in one of the old prisons, and an iron muzzle was put on to keep him from using his signature attack.

"Sorry about the muzzle," I apologized as the Thunderdrum stared at us accusingly.

"Alright, now let's get me on his back," Stoick said, clasping his hands together. "Time's a wasting."

"Now we just gotta get one his size," Hiccup mumbled. I tried to hide my laughter as Stoick turned and glared at us.

"What was that?" he demanded.

"Nothing," we both replied in unison.

"Look, you have to approach him properly dad," Hiccup explained. "Especially a dragon like this. He's one of the most powerful dragons I've ever seen."

'_Excuse me_?' Snowfire suddenly spoke up. I smirked as Hiccup rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Second most powerful," he quickly corrected himself. Snowfire let out a huff of satisfaction.

"That's why I picked him," Stoick stated in an obvious tone. "He gets his power from Thor himself. He's the God of Thunder, you know?" I had almost forgotten that Vikings believed in more than one God. It was strange how different our religions were, and yet we still get along despite our differences.

"So I've heard," Hiccup grumbled. "Still, you have to let the dragon know that you're a friend."

"A friend huh?" Stoick asked while trying to take this all in. "You mean like Gobber and me?"

"That's a perfect example!" I exclaimed. "What did you do when you first met?"

Stoick suddenly grabbed Hiccup in a headlock. "That's my wife you're talkin' to, you one-legged lout!" he snapped. I had to laugh as he showed us how he and Gobber first met, nearly strangling Hiccup in the process.

"Okay, not the approach I had in mind," Hiccup said after gasping for air. "Dad, what's real important is that you let him know he can trust you. You have to make eye contact." Snowfire and I exchanged a look before I shrugged.

This wasn't something I had to go through when we first met. I thought back to that random Timberjack I nearly ran into days ago. Again I didn't really have to do much, other than stand there and tremble in horror as the dragon sniffed my hand.

"Uh-huh, sure," Stoick said bluntly.

"This should be fun," I muttered as I walked over to the lever. I pulled down the lever, and the Thunderdrum slowly crawled out. My heart nearly skipped a beat when he looked directly at me. "Easy," I reassured him. "I'm a friend."

The Thunderdrum sniffed me cautiously before turning and growling at Stoick. Both he and Hiccup had been watching with wide eyes. All I could do was shrug as the Thunderdrum started approaching Stoick.

"Stay calm, and be gentle," Hiccup reminded Stoick, staying close just in case. "And you'll know you've formed a bond when he bows his head and lets you climb on his back." Slowly Stoick reached out for the Thunderdrum only to have it lash out and snarl at him. After checking to make sure his fingers were still intact, Stoick punched the dragon back into it's cage. "Hey!" Hiccup glared at his father. "What happened to trust?"

"Talk to him!" Stoick yelled back, pointing at the Thunderdrum. "He's the one who tried to take off my hand!"

Growling in defiance, the Thunderdrum flew out of the cage, only to have his tail grabbed by Stoick.

"This isn't helping!" I shouted as the Thunderdrum dragged him around.

"I've got to show these beasts who's boss!" Stoick insisted and slammed the Thunderdrum to the ground. He got onto it's back as he tried recovering and grinned triumphantly. "Look at that! I'm on his back!" he exclaimed before giving Hiccup a smug look. "Any questions?"

The Thunderdrum refused to listen and started flying around the arena once again. "Too many to ask," Hiccup muttered.

"I wonder how long he can stay on?" I asked, remembering some of the bull riding competitions they used to show on television. Suddenly the Thunderdrum flew out of the arena, with Stoick still on his back. "Guess that answers my question," I muttered with a shrug.

...

We were back at the forge later that day. Stoick had still not returned with the Thunderdrum, and Gobber had his head inside a Gronckle while checking on it's teeth.

"I talk to him but my dad just doesn't listen," Hiccup sighed in frustration. "It's like I'm wasting my breath."

"I've got it!" Gobber suddenly exclaimed.

"Thank you!" Hiccup sighed in relief. "At least somebody other than Alex understands me." I tried to hide the blush that followed after he said that. In a strange way we kind of understood each other.

"I was talking about this," Gobber replied as he showed us a rotten Gronckle tooth. "Nasty! Now, what were you saying?"

"Huh!" Hiccup threw his arms up in frustration once again. "My father!"

"Right, Stoick," Gobber apologized and cut the rope around the Gronckle's mouth. "Let me explain about father's and sons, and you might want to miss out on this one lass," he added to me. I simply shrugged and let him continue. "It's a father's job to listen to his son without ever letting on that he's heard a word."

"I don't think I've ever had that privilege," I muttered. Hiccup threw me a look of concern before Stoick yelled his name. We both turned to see him standing in front of the forge, only to see that he was covered in bruises. "What happened to you?"

"Ah, the beast threw me off and flew off to Thor knows where," Stoick explained.

"Well, can you blame him? All you ever did was fight him," Hiccup pointed out.

"Ah he loved it."

"Well, apparently not," I muttered.

"We can stand here arguing all day, or we can go get my dragon," Stoick said while walking away.

"You sure you don't need looking after before we go out," I pointed out.

"I'll be fine once we find that Thunderdrum," Stoick grunted.

"Here we go again," Hiccup said with a roll of his eyes.

...

Later that evening all of us were flying across the island looking for the Thunderdrum.

"Snowfire, do you think you can track him down?" I asked as we flew between Hookfang and Stormfly.

'_I am not a tracking dragon_,' she retorted. I nodded in understanding; I was hoping she would have a different answer.

"Alright, we need to fan out and cover the entire island!" Stoick ordered as he flew with Hiccup and Toothless.

"Ruffnut, Tuffnut, you take—"

"You take the west side!" Stoick ordered before Hiccup finished.

What happened to Hiccup leading the patrols? I resisted the urge to glare at Stoick's back as he continued giving orders.

"You got it chief!" Tuffnut nodded. The twins veered off towards the western part of the island.

"Can anyone even see me back here?" Hiccup demanded with a roll of his eyes.

"Snotlout, to the north side," Stoick continued spitting out orders.

"Come on, Fishlegs," Astrid called as Hookfang flew away. "We'll take the east side!"

"But it's allergy season," Fishlegs pointed out.

"Fishlegs!" Astrid snapped.

"It's not me though," Fishlegs said while patting Meatlug's neck. "It's for her." Astrid just rolled her eyes and flew off. Eventually, Fishlegs flew after her, sighing in defeat.

"Well, your friends sure are an odd bunch, but they sure know what they're doing on those dragons," Stoick said once they were gone. I just narrowed my eyes as we flew over to the south side of the island.

"Thanks, I think," Hiccup said. Stoick continued searching for the dragon as Hiccup tried giving him some advice. "Okay, when we find the dragon, we might want to think of approaching it… differently. Obviously he doesn't like being pushed around. So—"

"There he is!" Stoick cut him off once again, pointing towards a Thunderdrum crawling into a cave.

"And once again, not a word got through," Hiccup grumbled in annoyance.

"That surprises you?" I asked under my breath.

'_The man is as hard-headed as his helmet_,' Snowfire added once we flew down to the cave.

As soon as we were off our dragons, the Thunderdrum roared at us. His muzzle was still covering his mouth as Toothless and Snowfire roared in defiance. Snowfire let out another ear-splitting screech that sent the dragon scurrying into his cave.

"Why don't you try warning us the next time you do that?" Stoick asked while glaring at Snowfire. She only glared back, a growl forming in the back of her throat.

"Settle down guys," Hiccup told them.

"Let me handle this," Stoick said while grabbing a hammer. "This dragon's mine."

"Dad!" Hiccup tried to stop Stoick, but he wouldn't listen.

"Well, this should be fun to watch," I muttered sarcastically. That was when I caught sight of something else in the cave. Stoick must have noticed it as well, because his grip on the hammer relaxed slightly.

"There's another Thunderdrum in here," he said, waving Hiccup and I over. Sure enough as we got closer we noticed a purple Thunderdrum laying in the cave. My eyes widened when I noticed that it was injured.

"He's been hurt," I murmured sympathetically.

"He's just protecting his friend," Stoick added. Then he turned to Hiccup and me. "Go get the others, and tell Gobber to get ready."

"Dad, I just can't leave you here," Hiccup insisted.

"Go!" Stoick shouted.

"He'll be fine; I'll stay here and look after them," I reassured Hiccup.

Hiccup stood there and hesitated before getting on Toothless and taking off. Stoick than turned and faced the Thunderdrum, who was still glaring at him.

"Now, it's just you and me, big fella," he said. I rolled my eyes once again as I slowly approached the injured Thunderdrum. It's eyes flew over to me as the blue one glared. "Why isn't he attacking you?" Stoick demanded as I managed to reach the injured one.

"I don't know," I admitted with a shrug. The injured Thunderdrum looked at me with wide, scared eyes. I knew that a scared dragon would be dangerous. It's friend only watched me suspiciously as I reached out a hand.

Then the Thunderdrum let out a snarl at the sound of a snapping twig. I turned around just in time to see a herd of boars making their way towards us. Snowfire's wings were flared in a defensive position.

"Ah, they smell the blood of your wounded friend," Stoick realized. He looked at me and grabbed his hammer. "Alex, see what you can do about that injured Thunderdrum." I nodded and started looking for the herbs I had used for Torch and Toothless. "The rest of us will deal with the boars."

'_With pleasure_,' Snowfire hissed. Then the boars charged at them. I quickly gathered all the herbs I could and rushed over to the Thunderdrum laying in the cave. It's wing was already covered in dried blood. Glancing at Snowfire I gestured for her to join us.

"Can you create enough steam to moisten this cloth?" I asked while ripping grabbing a cloth from her saddle. Snowfire dipped her head before breathing out a light mist. Because of her power to breathe fire and ice, she could also create a fine mist.

I hadn't noticed that two of the boars managed to get past Stoick. Snowfire let out a roar of fury and tossed them aside like they were nothing. Three other boars charged at the blue Thunderdrum, but he whacked them away with his tail.

More tried getting into the cave, but Snowfire managed to block them. While she kept us protected, I started wrapping the cloth and crushed herbs along the injured Thunderdrum's wounds. One thing I had learned was to always keep some kind of cloth.

"There, you should be fine for now," I murmured reassuringly. The injured Thunderdrum looked at me before crooning in what I assumed was thanks. Meanwhile Stoick was still fighting alongside the blue Thunderdrum as more boars started joining their comrades.

'_These creatures do not give up, do they_?' Snowfire slammed another boar with her tail, sending it flying into a tree. My jaw had nearly dropped when I saw Stoick's hand reaching out to the Thunderdrum. What surprised me even more was that the Thunderdrum had accepted him. Then he pulled off the rope covering the Thunderdrum's mouth.

"Look at us, we've bonded," he announced after the Thunderdrum let out sonic blast that sent the boars flying backwards.

That was when Hiccup and the others had finally arrived on their dragons. Once they landed they looked at Stoick in surprise when he was sitting on the Thunderdrum.

"What just happened here?" Hiccup asked.

"Just battled a few boars, did a little bonding," Stoick replied while chuckling.

"You?" Hiccup's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Yeah, I'm just as surprised as you are," I said with a nod.

"Of course," Stoick told us with a nod. He was grinning from ear to ear, making me hide a smirk at the sight. "You know, there's something you should know about dragons. It's all about trust." Stoick paused before glancing back at me. "And you still owe us an explanation," he added; his voice had dropped to a whisper, and I simply nodded.

"Wait, so you actually heard what I said?" Hiccup asked.

"Yes," Stoick confirmed, "I just said it; I listen."

...

Later that evening we arrived on Berk and dropped off the injured Thunderdrum at the forge where Gobber stood.

"Take good care of him," Stoick informed him. "He's a friend." Gobber simply nodded before leading the injured Thunderdrum into the forge. We flew off back towards Hiccup's house, where everything was oddly quiet. "So," Stoick began once we were all situated inside. "Would you like to explain why that dragon didn't bite off your hand?"

Hiccup was sitting beside Toothless while Snowfire had been left (much to her reluctance) outside. I sat across from Hiccup while Stoick stood in front of us, a stern look on his face.

"Well, would it be weird to say that I can… bond with other dragons?" I asked with a sheepish look. Even I wasn't sure what to call it. But I quickly explained what had happened back on Dragon Island with the Timberjack, and Hiccup's eyes widened in disbelief.

"That's incredible!" Hiccup exclaimed once I was finished with my tale. "Have you ever heard of anything like that?" He looked at Stoick, who was rubbing his beard thoughtfully and shook his head.

"No, nothing like this has ever been described in the Book of Dragons," he replied. "Something tells me that may be why Alvin was after you."

"Either way, having that ability could be handy, especially when it comes to training the dragons," Hiccup put in.

"Glad to see I'm of some use around here," I muttered crossly. But I did want to know why I had this ability, and if that said ability was even a possibility. Maybe there was more to it than I realized.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry for throwing in so much information the last two chapters. But I figured I better put it in now before revealing everything later on XD Anywho, on to review replies!<strong>

**69759 - Well, you may or may not be write about that ;) I love adding some mystery into the plot. It certainly builds up to a more suspenseful and exciting ending. And I'd be the one performing a public execution on Mildew XD I seriously don't like him. (And thanks for noticing the cover, KarinMaaka07 is the one who designed it for me)**

**silverwolvesarecool - I don't blame you :) Normally I never cuss out loud, but given the circumstances Alex has every right to cuss out Alvin for what he did XD And I think that might be a little weird, Dagur being her father. Given the fact that he's technically related to Hiccup by blood, if I remember correctly :)**


	24. Portrait of Hiccup as a Buff Young Man

**Chapter Twenty Four**

Measuring up to a Viking is never easy. Especially when you're worlds apart, and in a village full of people who can ride dragons. So when you get the chance to prove your worth, you jump on it.

I watched in amusement with Snowfire sitting beside me cleaning her wings. With the way things were going I had pretty much found my place in the village. I was able to bond with dragons in a level that no human ever could.

Much to Mildew's disappointment, Stoick had assigned me to making sure that the dragons arriving on the island were not a threat to the village. That alone had made me feel more welcome than he realized. But it was also a huge responsibility.

Keeping tabs on all the dragons that migrated to Berk or lived on the island was a big task. Not to mention I would have to make sure they didn't attack the village. That was why I found myself sitting alone on a sea stack.

'_I would rather soar above the island than sit here_,' Snowfire muttered when we sat there for what felt like hours. I had left early in the morning before dawn broke to patrol the island. What I really wanted was some time to think to myself, and now I had that chance.

"I know it's boring, but can you think of a better view?" I asked after letting out a sigh of annoyance. From up here I could see the entire island without tiring Snowfire out. Even a dragon had their limits as to how long they could fly.

"There you are!" I flinched when I spotted Stormfly approaching us. The sea stack was big enough for two dragons, but being on a high cliff with Astrid made it suddenly feel tiny. "What are you doing out here?" she asked curiously.

"Watching for any dragons," I replied as casually as I could. Snowfire only snorted in amusement before turning to face Stormfly. The Deadly Nadder made that same crooning sound, which I assumed was their way of communicating.

"Really? I thought you'd be with Hiccup." I didn't miss the look Astrid was giving me. "He and Stoick are at the Great Hall getting their family portrait done," she explained warily. Why the hell was she telling me this? I didn't need to be with him every minute. Then I suddenly understood where she was going with this.

"You do realize that I have a life outside of Berk, right?" I eyed her skeptically as I thought back to my old life. Once again I was left wondering what my life would be like had I never woken up in this world. I really needed to stop thinking about it. Somehow I knew that going back wasn't an option.

"Yeah, I suppose." Why was it that every time I was alone with Astrid things only got more awkward? I knew she held a grudge because of how close Hiccup and I were. But honestly, I couldn't see us being more than just friends. Everything that had happened made me reluctant to even think of starting a relationship.

"It's actually kind of funny," I murmured thoughtfully. Astrid looked at me in confusion before I explained, "When I first woke up in this world I thought it was just a dream. And now, I don't think I could go back to my world even if I was given the choice." Snowfire had stopped beside me and rested her chin on my shoulder, though she was gentle enough not to knock me over. "I never realized how beautiful this world was or is."

"You know, you and Hiccup are almost exactly alike," Astrid muttered after looking away. I hadn't really given that much thought until now. We did share a lot in common, and I knew that was part of the reason why we got along so well. "How is it you're able to communicate with your dragon?" she suddenly asked.

I looked at her in surprise, taken aback by the question before glancing at Snowfire. She only eyed us both curiously as I thought of an answer.

'_Only my kind are capable of doing so_,' Snowfire answered for me. '_Our gifts rely on trust between rider and dragon_.' I simply nodded in agreement before patting her on the head.

"I guess that makes sense," Astrid said with a shrug. For a moment we were left in another awkward silence before she spoke up again. "Look, I just wanted you to know that I'm glad you care for Hiccup." Her words caught me off guard. "We should probably get back."

For the first time I noticed something was off about her. As she hopped onto Stormfly I spotted what looked like a tear at the edge of her eyes. Regret suddenly washed over me as I climbed into Snowfire's saddle. It had been while since we actually talked, and I doubted that we would ever consider ourselves as friends. I felt like I was responsible for that, in more ways than one.

'_She will recover_,' Snowfire suddenly told me.

"I sure hope so," I whispered as we flew back to the village. I had promised myself that I wouldn't get between them. And now all of a sudden everyone seemed to think we were more than friends. Well, Astrid seemed to at least.

...

That night we were all gathered in the Great Hall as a feast was held. I along with the other Viking teens were staring at the wall of portraits hanging in one of the hallways.

"Look at all these great leaders," Astrid said while looking at Hiccup. Her voice was filled with awe as she continued, "And tomorrow morning, you'll be joining them."

"There goes the neighborhood," Snotlout snorted. I just elbowed him when no one was looking, earning a glare in response.

"You're part of an elite group, my friend," Fishlegs said as we walked away while looking at the paintings. "And one of the few who wasn't killed by their successor."

"So far," Tuffnut said with a chuckle.

"I guess it is a big deal," Hiccup said in agreement. "I mean, it's a big part of history, right?"

"A history of goofballs," Snotlout said while pointing to another portrait. A young blonde who was standing next to his father, not looking overly happy in the painting.

"That's Hamish the First," Fishlegs instantly explained at my look of confusion. "He was our richest and most revered leader, and his son, Hamish the Second."

"I'm Hamish the Second," Snotlout mocked in a high-pitched voice. "Bow down before me and kiss my pointy shoes!"

I smirked as the twins chuckled and Tuffnut started bowing down behind Snotlout. Ruffnut was bowing in front of him when she pushed Snotlout into Tuffnut. The force of their fall had caused the picture of Hamish to fall down on Snotlout's head.

"Look at what you did to the Hamish's!" Fishlegs practically squealed as he tried cleaning the mess they'd made. He frantically picked up the picture and hung it back on the wall, sighing in relief once it was back in place. "Forgive us, please," he begged.

But as he touched the portrait, a sheet of parchment fell down from the painting itself.

"What's that? It's probably mine," Tuffnut said as he tried reaching down for it, but Snotlout beat him to it.

"It looks like some kind of map," he said with a grin. "With poetry," he suddenly added in disgust.

"I'll take that." Out of nowhere a hand grabbed the map, ripping it out of Snotlout's grasp.

"Hey, that's my poetry map!" Snotlout complained.

"All o' these were supposed to be destroyed," Gobber said while eying the parchment carefully.

"Why? What's so special about it?" I asked as I tried reaching for it, but Gobber held it up too high. Damn me and my short legs.

"Men lost their limbs, their lives and their minds trying to find this treasure," Gobber explained, than he held a hand to his mouth when he realized that he said too much.

"I've heard about this!" Fishlegs said excitedly. "The treasure of Hamish the First, his son buried him with it and left this map. They say the clues are so complicated, that only a brilliant mind could decipher them."

"Stoick and I even went after that treasure," Gobber told us. "It lured us up into the mountains during a blinding snowstorm. We fought like badgers over the clues, and we're lucky ta make it out alive, and with our friendship intact." He looked down at us with a warning gaze. "For your own good, forget you ever saw this."

We all shared confused looks as Gobber limped off with the map. Something told me there was more to this story than Gobber was letting on. My curiosity was peaked, and I doubted the other teens were going to let this go so easily.

...

The following morning almost everyone from the village was gathered at the Great Hall. Apparently Bucket was about to reveal the painting he'd been working on the other morning. And what surprised me even more was that Bucket could actually paint.

Hiccup stood up in the front of the crowd with his father. I had to stand on my tiptoe in order to get a better view of the painting. The painting itself was currently covered in a purple silk cloth, something that was rare to find in this current time period.

Stoick had said a few words before Bucket finally pulled off the cloth. The moment I laid eyes on it, I nearly gasped. The painting looked nothing like Hiccup. Instead there stood two Vikings; one was obviously Stoick, but the other had an extra seventy pounds added on, along with muscles that made Snotlout look like a shrimp. The sword and shield were also raised as if they were posed for the attack.

But the lack of reality didn't stop the crowd from cheering. What bothered me more than anything was that Stoick didn't even seem bothered by how different the painting looked.

"Whoa, what happened to Hiccup?" Tuffnut asked, pushing his way through the crowd as the other teens stood around me.

"Who cares?" Ruffnut and Astrid said together as they marveled at the painting. I only rolled my eyes at their reactions.

"Hey, Bucket, why am I so… like that?" Hiccup himself asked, gesturing to the painting. By now the crowd had died down, and a few women had stayed behind to admire the painting and chat about it.

"Why is the sky blue?" asked Bucket. "Why do I have a bucket on me head? We'll never know the answers." Stoick chose that moment approach them with a mug of ale in his hand.

"You did a brilliant job, Bucket!" he congratulated and patted Bucket on the shoulder. "Don't you think so, son?"

"But it's not me," Hiccup pointed out.

"Sure it is," Stoick reassured him. "You know, just bigger and stronger."

"Now that's the son of a chief," Mulch said after joining them. He clanked his mug of ale with Stoick's before taking a swig.

"You see what I mean?" Stoick asked.

Didn't he see how hurtful his words were? Once again I was flabbergasted with how little these people even knew Hiccup. These people didn't seem to realize that it wasn't all about appearance. I always thought that what mattered was on the inside.

...

Later that day Hiccup and I were walking around the village, talking about what had happened that morning. I had a feeling he needed to blow off some steam after seeing that painting. Honestly I didn't mind listening to people rant, so long as it was for a good reason.

"Unbelievable!" he muttered while looking at me. "My father likes that painting better than me! I mean think about it… even my name! You know that it's a Viking tradition to name the runt of the litter 'Hiccup'?"

"Actually I don't," I reminded him. Hiccup just gave me a look before I shook my head. "Hey, I'm the one who's still learning the ins and outs of being a Viking," I pointed out. "But I get what you're saying, and it bothers me too."

As if to prove his point, we passed a flock of sheep being led by a Viking. The smallest of the flock started to lag behind a bit. "Come on, little hiccup," he said. Then he looked up and saw Hiccup and me. "Oh, hello Hiccup."

"See?" Hiccup threw his arms up in exasperation. "What do I have to do in order to get my father to accept me?" he muttered, almost to himself.

"He does accept you," I tried reassuring him, putting a hand on his shoulder. Hopefully he wouldn't take my next words the wrong way, "he just accepts the painting more." I wished there was an easier way to say that. But as usual I couldn't think of anything else to say. "Don't forget that you're the one who managed to slay the Red Death," I quickly added.

"True, but people out there think that I'm ten feet tall and have the strength of a dozen men," Hiccup said.

I was about to say something when I thought better of it. I had a feeling this was on a more personal note for Hiccup, and something I shouldn't get involved in. We walked on in awkward silence until we reached the forge. My eyes narrowed when I saw Fishlegs standing in front of it. Curiosity got the better of us as we approached it.

"What are you doing at the forge, Fishlegs?" I asked while crossing my arms.

"N-nothing!" Fishlegs replied a little too quickly. Then he turned his head to the side and started making a few bird calls in what looked like the direction of the forge. "Caw-caw-caw-caw!" he called several times.

Hiccup let out a sigh of frustration while I smirked. "Okay, where are they?" he asked. Fishlegs suddenly did an impression of an owl.

We both shook our heads and approached the back of the forge where the twins were standing in front of the windows. Soon enough Snotlout came crawling out of the window, a triumphant look on his face.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I've got the map, we're finding that treasure," Snotlout said while holding a piece of parchment. Then he turned and glared at Fishlegs. "And you are a terrible lookout."

"You heard what Gobber said," Astrid snapped when she joined us, a scowl was across her face. "The bravest warriors in history have died trying to find that treasure."

"Yeah, and I'm next," Snotlout said with a smug look.

"What, next to die?" I asked with a smirk. Snotlout's face fell and he scowled at me in response.

"Well, I would personally like to live to see my next birthday," Astrid scoffed.

"We'll be legends!" Fishlegs exclaimed. "They'll sing songs about us!"

"Eh, I could live without that," I replied with a shrug. Again Fishlegs and Snotlout glared at me. I've never been one to enjoy the life of a star.

"You'll be dead," said Astrid with a look of disbelief in her eyes. "Come on guys, even Stoick couldn't find it!"

"You're right, he couldn't!" Hiccup's eyes lit up as an idea formed in his head. "Give me that map," he said, trying to pry it from Snotlout's hands.

"Finally, someone's making sense," Astrid sighed in relief.

"Something tells me that this won't end the way you're hoping," I muttered under my breath. Astrid just gave me a look when Hiccup finally got hold of the map. He eyed it with interest before finally speaking up again.

"Alright, where do we start?" he asked. I looked at Astrid with a roll of my eyes as she gaped at Hiccup.

"Are you serious?" she demanded. Hiccup's eyes were full of determination as he looked back at us.

"Think about it," he said. "My father couldn't find that treasure. What would he say if I did something that Stoick the Vast couldn't do?" Ah, that made sense. It was a stupid, crazy idea, and one that could cost them their lives.

"You're going to go after this no matter what I say, aren't you?" I asked warily. Hiccup just grinned and shook his head, that same determined look in his eyes. "Well, if you can't beat 'em, join them."

"So you two aren't going to give me a hard time about this?" Hiccup asked skeptically.

"Well, I'm going to give you a hard time," Astrid said while pointing a finger at him accusingly. "Every step of the way."

"I'm just gonna go with the flow on this one," I replied with another shrug. "Besides, someone's gotta keep an eye on these nutcases." I turned in time to see the twins fighting each other, yet again. Ruffnut smacked her brother in the face as hard as she could.

"Hard I said, I wanna see stars!" Tuffnut groaned. Ruffnut than punched him hard in the face, knocking her brother to the ground.

"Good point," Hiccup replied with a smirk. He looked at the map again to find a good starting point. "Looks like the map leads you to these points."

"And the riddles are clues to what we're supposed to find," Fishlegs put in. Huh, that sounded a bit National Treasuish to me. It was definitely one of my favorite movies.

"Blah, blah, blah, where's the treasure?" Snotlout asked while snatching the map. "Clue number one: Where the land meets the sea, in the crook of the master's knee, that's where your search will be-gin."

"That doesn't sound so brilliant," Ruffnut said.

"Okay, think…." Tuffnut had said this multiple times before finally forgetting what he was thinking about.

"Well, when it says 'Where the land meets the sea', I'm guessing that he means the beach," I replied while eying the map. I was still having a difficult time reading the language, but practice makes perfect. "But the 'crook of the master's knee', I don't know."

"But I have," Hiccup said as we all leaned down to study the map. We headed straight for the Great Hall, looking at the portraits on the wall. Unsurprisingly the latest portrait was still up in it's spot, glaring down at us. "Look, right there!" Hiccup announced, pointing at something.

We all looked at the paintings and realized what he was pointing at. The painting of Hamish the First with his son. His foot was on a rock, pointed to a weird looking rock spire jutting out from the rock behind him.

"Where his knee bends," I realized out loud. "I guess that's where we start looking."

...

'_You disturbed my rest for this_?' Snowfire's voice was full of annoyance as we flew down to one of the beaches. '_What is it your human hatchlings are searching for_?' On this beach, there was an awesome view of the water, and in particular, the same rock spire that was shown in the painting.

"Don't know," I replied with yet another shrug. "But apparently it's some kind of valuable treasure."

Snowfire only snorted irritably. '_Humans and their foolish desires_,' she muttered crossly. I tried not to laugh at the irony before patting her on the neck. The others had stopped at the edge of the beach and were hovering over the ocean now.

"Listen up you guys," Hiccup began as he unrolled the map, "from here you will see the sea that's been sown, look to where water turns to bone." Well that sounded reassuring. Maybe this map would lead us in different directions just like in National Treasure. I smirked at the idea as Snotlout leaned on Hookfang's horn.

"Water turns to bone? Hamish isn't even trying to make sense," he said.

"No," Hiccup said and recited the riddle. Then his eyes brightened like they always did when he got an idea. "He must mean ice! The glacier!" They looked up at the glacier that was right next to the beach.

"Of course," I said while staring at it. "That's what Hamish means by 'the sea that's been sown'."

"If only my dad could see me now," Hiccup sighed.

'_The hatchling craves his father's affection_,' Snowfire hummed as we flew up to the glacier. It was a mixture of white and blue, similar to the ones I'd seen pictures of in my world. I was surprised at how pretty it looked with the sunlight reflecting off of it.

"Yeah well, you can hardly blame him," I whispered.

'_Of course I can; I was just starting to fall asleep when you rudely woke me up_,' she retorted. I resisted the urge to grin sheepishly at her response. Dragons were not the friendliest when they first woke up, at least if their sleep was disturbed.

"There's a lot of Vikings frozen in the ice," I started until glancing down. There was a small object buried on the floor that caught my attention. "There's something down there!"

"I bet that guy saw it too," Fishlegs said while looking at a Viking frozen in the ice. Hiccup looked at the map once more to read the next clue.

"Call on Magni, you'll go astray. Freya though, will show the way." Man, I really wish I had studied Norse mythology. I barely knew who he was talking about.

"I get it!" Snotlout said before hitting the ice with his head, cutting it in half. A sudden click followed, and we looked up in time to see a massive, clawed mace that began to swing down on top of Snotlout.

"No!" Hiccup pulled Snotlout away just as the mace swung down and smashed itself into the wall right next to them. "We can't break the ice," Hiccup said once they were safe. "That's what 'Magni' means; he's the God of Strength."

"Remind me to thank him later on," I said in a whisper. Snowfire only hummed in amusement as Astrid snapped her fingers.

"Of course! And Freya is the God of Fire!" she announced. Hiccup nodded before rolling up the map and helping Snotlout to his feet.

"And that's exactly what we're going to do." He looked up to where Toothless was perched. "Toothless, you know what to do." Toothless roared and hopped down from the icy ledge. Hiccup pointed to the rock before Toothless fired a stream of blue fire at the ice, melting a hole rapidly.

Hiccup knelt down and picked up the burning object, eying it curiously. It looked like some kind of symbol, with parts on the sides which made it seem like it would fit together with something. Yep, definitely sounds like a scene from that movie I've mentioned too much.

"That's it?" Ruffnut asked in a voice full of disappointment. "That's the treasure?"

"No, it can't be," Hiccup replied. "But I bet it'll lead us to it."

"I feel like I was sucked into a movie," I muttered under my breath. Everyone gave me weird looks before Tuffnut grabbed the object and held it at arms length.

"Take us to the treasure!" he shouted.

"Let me know if it answers," Astrid joked.

"This is just the first piece," Hiccup said while taking the object from Tuffnut.

There was a loud rumble and a strange hissing sound, and the glacier began to shake. Big chunks of ice began to fall from the top, and crevasses split the floor into a jigsaw puzzle. My eyes widened in horror when I realized what it was doing.

"Toothless!" Hiccup cried.

The dragons wasted no time in taking off as the glacier began to sink. Well, there goes another natural beauty. We flew towards a sea stack once the threat was gone.

'_What sort of dangers will you put yourselves in next, hatchlings_?' Snowfire asked in an irritated tone. The looks she received were hilarious. Snowfire did have a good point though. Something told me that this was only the beginning of the threats we'd be facing out there.

Meanwhile Hiccup had rolled out the map once more and was reading it out loud, "At the edge of the world, amidst the raging sea, in the serpent's mouth lies another key."

"Serpents!" Tuffnut exclaimed. "I hate serpents. They're reptiles, right?" I smirked at the look of fear in his eyes. Snakes weren't too bad, as long as you gave them plenty of space. Usually they're more afraid of you than you are of them.

"You do realize that you're sitting on one, right?" Ruffnut asked with a roll of her eyes. Tuffnut jumped in surprise when he realized that she was right.

"Hey, that cloud looks like a serpent," Snotlout said, pointing towards a cloud.

"Yeah, and in a few minutes it'll look like a bunny," Astrid retorted.

"I'm not even sure Hamish could put a key in the air, unless he had magic or something," I added.

"Wait a minute!" said Hiccup as he looked at the map closely. "He might be on to something. 'In the mouth lies the key'." Hiccup then looked at the map once more. "Look right there!" He pointed to yet another oddly shaped sea stack. This one was twisted like a serpent and had an opening at the top. "Let's go!" he said while mounting Toothless.

"Whoa, whoa! Are you crazy?" Fishlegs demanded, stopping Hiccup just as he was ready to take off. "You can't take a Night Fury with a large wingspan of forty eight feet and expect him to hover over winds like that! You'll be killed!"

'_He is right_,' Snowfire murmured in agreement. '_Larger dragons would not have an easy time in those winds_.'

"So I guess that leaves the rest of us out," I muttered crossly. Then I eyed Meatlug curiously. She didn't have overly huge wings like the others. "What about Meatlug?" Hiccup nodded in agreement as Fishlegs looked at us like we were crazy.

Moments later and he was struggling with Meatlug to reach the sea stack. I watched on as Hiccup had wrapped himself in a rope that dangled haphazardly from Meatlug's saddle. Fishlegs was the only one keeping him from falling in the powerful winds.

"Keep her steady!" Hiccup said in a calm voice.

"Oh Thor!" Fishlegs gasped as he tried to steady himself on Meatlug. "Do we really need that treasure? Isn't our friendship treasure enough?" Apparently not. I folded my arms and silently agreed with Fishlegs on that one.

They flew closer to the sea stack, and inside Hiccup managed to find the key. Or at least that's what I'm assuming. He tried reaching out for the key, but it was still too far away.

"I can't reach it," He said to Fishlegs.

"Okay, we tried. A for effort," Fishlegs said, obviously wanting to leave.

"Hold on!" Before Fishlegs could grasp what he meant, Hiccup started to climb down the rope and stopped before he reached the end. He then began to grab the key with his metal leg. It took a few tries, but he managed to grab it and tossed it up so that he could grab the key with his hand.

"Yes, got it!" Hiccup yelled triumphantly as Fishlegs happily flew away. "How's that for a hiccup?" he asked while eying the key.

We flew on to the forest on Berk, ignoring the obvious signs that the treasure map was leading us in different directions. Next thing you know we might end up in the modern world. The thought made me smirk and feel a little uneasy.

Hiccup had placed the two keys together and eyed them curiously.

"Look, they fit together," he said before looking at me. "We must be on the right track."

"Yeah, but it looks like there's still another key we have to find," I pointed out while eying the gap between the two keys.

"Hiccup, what are you going to do with your part of the treasure?" Ruffnut asked curiously.

"I'm not really here for the treasure," he replied.

"Great, I get your share!" Snotlout said almost instantly, and everyone else just rolled their eyes.

"You know you don't have to do this," I murmured while looking at Hiccup seriously this time.

"Yeah, try telling that to my dad," he snapped.

Soon we came to a halt after walking through the woods for some time. What blocked our way was a large rock that barred the path. I blinked in surprise when I noticed a section of the wall was set up with blocks of all shapes and sizes.

"This must be the spot," Hiccup announced while glancing at the map for the umpteenth time. "Why else would anyone build a wall in the middle of nowhere?"

"Duh, to keep out the other trees," Tuffnut said with a smirk.

"Well, I've got another one for you," Hiccup said before reading another clue. "The world is right when the stars align. When not in sink, the danger you'll find."

"Stars?" Snotlout demanded. "I'm not waiting out here until night!"

"I don't think he means actual stars," Hiccup told him. "I mean, the water didn't actually turn to bone."

"Until that glacier started to sink," I said under my breath. Hiccup just rolled his eyes before Astrid spoke up.

"Well, what do you think it means, Hiccup?" she asked.

"Why ask him?" Snotlout asked Astrid. "Maybe I know." We all stared at him in silence with raised eyebrows. "I said maybe," he defended himself. "Doesn't mean I do." Fishlegs than climbed off of Meatlug and studied the stone carefully.

"Huh, there's shapes carved into the stones," he realized while trailing his fingers over the carvings.

"Keep a look out for anything shaped like a star," Hiccup ordered as we all climbed off our dragons.

'_This entire journey is pointless_,' Snowfire muttered. I nodded in agreement but didn't dare say anything. Hiccup was only doing this because he thought his father would approve of him. I really wanted to punch Stoick in the gut for pushing his son this far.

"Got one!" Snotlout said with a grin. He started pulling out the stone when the wall started to tremble with him still on it.

"Put it back! Put it back!" Fishlegs panicked as Snotlout tried putting it back in the slot.

"Hookfang!" Snotlout tried calling for his dragon, who was watching a leaf fall from a tree. "Hookfang!" When Hookfang finally looked at Snotlout, he pushed the stone back in the slot with his snout, causing the crumbling to stop.

"Okay guys, in sync," Hiccup reminded us. "There must be another star somewhere."

"Up there!" Astrid said, pointing up.

"I'm guessing we have to pull them both out at the same time," I said while eying the stones. This was a tricky one.

"Ruff! Tuff!" Hiccup called while looking at the twins.

They nodded and led Barf and Belch over to the wall. Once they gestured towards the two stones, the Zippleback went to work carefully pulling them out. Their teeth latched on to each rock, managing to pull them out at the same time. This time, the wall didn't start to crumble. It was like a tumbling block; pull out one piece and it might fall, but if you pull out the right pieces at the same time, it would be fine.

My eyes widened in disbelief as the movement caused an opening to form in the wall. A small cave was formed, and as we walked inside the wall suddenly sealed itself shut. Toothless started clawing at the wall, but it did no good.

"Looks like we have no choice but to go forward," I said uneasily. Snowfire let out an irritated growl that caused everyone to jump. This cave was spooky as hell. I couldn't remember the last time I'd been in a cave like this.

We started wandering through the cave with our dragons close behind us. All the while Snowfire was keeping an eye out for danger. Her eyes narrowed when we reached what looked like two torches on the wall. Hiccup grabbed one before handing the other to me, after Toothless had lit them of course.

It wasn't long before we reached a room full of pedestals. What surprised me was the fact that there were several objects on these pedestals, each with a different form to look at. My guess was this had something to do with the next clue. Take the wrong object, and the room starts to collapse, or you run into another booby trap.

"So, what now?" Astrid asked.

"Ugh, I'm so hot!" Snotlout complained as he started to sweat. "Is anyone else hot in here? Or is Snowfire just messing with me?" He glared at her as if expecting the temperature to cool down. Snowfire only rolled her eyes and slapped her tail across his face.

"You know, it is getting a bit hot in hear," I had to agree with him on that one. I hadn't realized until now that Astrid and Ruffnut were sweating too.

"I know!" Tuffnut agreed, wiping his forehead. "I'm sweating like a dragon at an eel party."

"Uh, guys, is it just me or is the floor moving?" I eyed the floor suspiciously when I realized something was off.

Hiccup lowered his torch on the ground, only to see rat-like creatures on the floor scurry away from the fire. "Uh, Toothless?" he asked while turning to his dragon. "Mind giving a little light?"

Toothless shot a plasma blast at the ceiling, revealing what was crawling around us. My eyes widened in amazement when I saw tiny looking fire-like creatures scurrying about. "That's why it's so hot in here!" Fishlegs started to panic. "Fireworm Dragons!"

"Well, this should be fun," I muttered sarcastically.

'_I told you this was a bad idea_,' Snowfire scolded all of us. Tuffnut was about to pick one up when Hiccup stopped him just in time.

"Stop! Their skin burns as hot as the sun," he reminded all of us.

"Yeah? But how hot can the sun really be?" I nearly facepalmed when Tuffnut picked up the Fireworm, only to drop it and scream in surprise. "Ouch! Ah!"

At Tuffnut's scream, the whole floor started to glow orange, revealing that there were hundreds of Fireworms all over the place. The dragons started to blow fire on the floor in an attempt to stop the Fireworms. As they did this, I noticed Hiccup and Toothless approaching one of the pedestals.

"Grab them and let's go!" Snotlout yelled.

"No, it's a choice, listen to this guys," Hiccup said while reading the map again. "Something pure and something strong. Look first to yourself and you can't go wrong."

"Strong!" Fishlegs exclaimed. "That must be the one made of iron!"

"But it's not pure!" Astrid retorted. "Take the gold."

"It can't be that easy," I muttered thoughtfully. Meanwhile the dragons were trying to keep the Fireworms at bay, but showing signs of exhaustion. Hookfang had already run out of fire power, but luckily Meatlug and Snowfire stepped in.

"It's starting to get really hard to breathe!" Astrid shouted, brushing sweat from her brow.

"That's what it feels like when you're getting roasted alive!" Fishlegs explained and looked down at Hiccup. "You might want to make a decision soon, Hiccup. We don't have much time!"

Some of the Fireworms were making their way to Hiccup, but Toothless managed to scare them off with his fire. Hiccup studied the pedestals before stopping near one with a reflective piece. Once he grabbed it and nothing happened, the Fireworms started to scatter and flee.

I glanced down at the floor in time to see that a sinkhole was forming under my feet. The whole time I had been standing nearby to make sure nothing happened. And of course this had to happen. Looking up I noticed everyone else was on their dragons, but Snowfire and Toothless were still by our sides.

"Hiccup!" Astrid's cry followed as we both began to fall. Oh this day just kept getting better and better.

...

It took a few moments for my eyes to adjust to the darkness. Luckily I was able to spot Snowfire in an instant. Toothless was a little harder to see, but I managed to find him standing next to Hiccup. Snowfire provided enough light for me to notice the scratches and bruises all over my arms. But at least we were still alive, barely.

"We have to get out of here, give us some light bud?" Hiccup turned to Toothless, and the Night Fury shot a plasma blast at a large rock that lit it up. "Are you okay?" My eyes widened in mock surprise when Hiccup looked at me.

"Well lets see, I fall down a sinkhole and nearly get myself killed." I looked at my bruised arms and glanced over at Snowfire, who was smirking in amusement at my response. "Yeah, I think I'll live to see another day."

Hiccup just rolled his eyes in annoyance before noticing a small hole in the ground. He knelt down and brushed his hand over the hole before taking out the keys we'd found.

"I wonder," he muttered almost to himself. As he placed the key into the hole and twisted the top, a pedestal rose up from the ground just as a door opened up by the side. "Well, we've gone this far," he said with a shrug.

"So, you do all of this just so that your father will accept you," I began as we made our way to the door. "But why can't it be simpler?" I thought back to how badly I wanted to punch Stoick in the gut for going this far. If he saw Hiccup now he probably would regret that painting.

'_Perhaps the hatchling is doing more than just that_,' Snowfire hummed in amusement as Hiccup gave us both a look, the same one that made me smirk. We walked on in awkward silence until the narrow passage opened up to a bridge leading to another room.

What we saw next made us all look around in wonder. It was a room full of treasure. Gold piled up to the wall could be seen as far as my eyes would take me. Even more remarkable was another pedestal placed in front of the treasure. Hiccup picked up the scroll and began to read it out loud.

"This treasure was passed from father to son, I leave it to you, the next worthy one. For only a Hiccup could get this far. From one to another, be proud of who you are." Hiccup stopped and looked at me in disbelief. I only shrugged, having already known that was all true. "That's what you were trying to tell me," he finally understood.

"For the most part, yes," I replied with a sheepish grin. "I've always believed that what matters the most is on the inside, in your heart." Snowfire and Toothless crooned in agreement as Hiccup smiled thankfully.

Then he unraveled the scroll to see what was hidden inside. To our surprise, it was another picture of Hamish the I and Hamish the II. It was nothing like the picture in the Great Hall. The picture here showed that Hamish the II was just as skinny as Hiccup was now.

"Whoa, Hamish the II was a… Hiccup! Just like me!" He glanced at me, grinning from ear to ear as Toothless joined us. "He knew only any one of us could find this place," he added while admiring the mountain of treasure. "Look at all this stuff! I guess being a Hiccup isn't a bad thing after all."

"Told you," I said with a smirk. Hiccup was about to say something when the pedestal started to sink in. Two more suddenly rose up, revealing more objects on top of them. One had a hammer on it, and the other had a quill. "Wow, I guess Hamish the II really had a thing for pedestals," I added. Hiccup let out a sigh and started reading what was inscribed on the pedestals.

"And apparently riddles," he muttered. "In between the body and the mind, a choice must be made on what you find. At this moment you must look to yourself, as only one path will give you true wealth." Hiccup groaned as he tried to recite the riddle once more. "Come on Hamish, you're killing me!"

"Wait, 'at this moment you must look to yourself, as only one path will give you true wealth'," I repeated the last lines and thought for a bit. "He can't possibly mean the treasure, that would be too obvious." Hiccup looked at me in surprise before realizing I was right.

At that moment the walls started to crumble, and we both made a run for the pedestals. Just as the walls started to collapse, we managed to make it out of the room intact. I breathed out a sigh of relief until realizing that we weren't alone anymore.

"Son!" Stoick raced over to Hiccup's side, who was still holding the quill.

"Hey dad," Hiccup said as if nothing happened. Stoick wasted no time in giving him a tight hug. I tried not to laugh when Hiccup struggled for air. "Dad, I can't breathe!" he gasped.

"Next time you think of going on an adventure like this, warn me," I muttered after brushing off the dirt from my clothes. Hiccup just smirked at me as everyone ran down the hill to ask questions.

"What happened?" asked Fishlegs.

"Blah blah blah, who cares?" Snotlout said impatiently. "Where's the treasure?"

Hiccup took out the scroll and revealed what was on it. "This is the real son of Hamish the I," he explained with a wry smile.

"That's not treasure!" Snotlout groaned. Stoick placed a hand on Hiccup's shoulder after realizing why he did all of this.

"To a father it is," he replied and locked gazes with Hiccup. "I never meant for you to feel like you had to do something like this," he apologized.

"I know dad. But I had to do this for myself," Hiccup reassured him.

Stoick smiled as the two hugged each other. It left everyone else feeling both happy and awkward at the same time.

...

Later that day at the Great Hall, Bucket had replaced the old painting with a newer painting of Hiccup and Stoick together.

Instead of the buffed out painting of Hiccup, it showed his true self. The picture of someone who cared for both his people and the dragons. Someone I was willing to risk my life for.

Living up to that Viking expectation was never easy. But at least Hiccup had proven that one didn't need to live that kind of life in order to survive. We could all be our own kind of Viking. And as it turned out, he already was one.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I loved throwing in movie references XD National Treasure is definitely one of my favorites, next to HTTYD, mostly because it takes place in good ol' Phillie. Yes, I do live close to that city ;)<strong>

**silverwolvesarecool - I'm not entirely sure if that's true, but I think I remember the episode where Dagur shows up and says they're cousins or something along those lines /:**

**69759 - Thank you! And yep, Alex does have a special 'gift', but I've got a few more tricks up my sleeves ;) And sounds great, they should make for an interesting twist in your story!**


	25. Dragon Flower

**Chapter Twenty Five**

As most people have learned by now, Berk is a rather small island in the middle of nowhere. So when the islanders get a taste of something new, they tend to go a little overboard. Unfortunately, that isn't always good.

Everyone was standing around the docks, looking at the sea expectantly. A ship was headed in our direction. Apparently someone important was about to arrive on the island. I didn't have much time to ask who the stranger was, because everyone had rushed over to the docks.

"Trader Johann is here!" Bucket yelled from his fishing boat, he than fell into the ocean as the ship sailed past him.

"So, who exactly is this Trader Johann?" I asked skeptically. Everyone looked at me like I was some kind of idiot. I only folded my arms until Hiccup realized I hadn't been around for that long.

"Oh, right…. Sorry," he muttered while rubbing the back of his hair in embarrassment. "Trader Johann is a seafarer who visits the island from time to time," he explained. "He offers all sorts of goods for trade."

Okay, that would explain why everyone was gathered here. I was curious as to what this Trader Johann guy would have. Maybe he'd heard of the man Alvin was talking about during their escapade. Or he might have something that I might be interested in.

Once Trader Johann had made port, he set down a plank so that everyone could get on board and see what he found this time. He stood on a crate so that everyone could hear him. "Whatever it is you're looking for, I can assure you that I have it!" he yelled. Everyone charged down the docks and started rooting through the crates and boxes.

"It's all mine! I call dibs on everything!" Snotlout announced as he rushed in.

"I've got food of all sorts," Johann started saying. "Spices, exotic animals, works of art, and jewelry. Not to mention knowledge."

"Trader Johann, is this your only book on Botany?" Fishlegs had been digging through a crate until finding what appeared to be a large book. Johann gave him a look of amusement.

"Yes, Mr. Fishlegs, why, it was given to me by the author himself!" he explained with a smile. Fishlegs than pulled out a necklace and dangled it in front of Johann's face.

"How about this?" he asked with a hopeful look. "It's made with dragon's teeth."

"Fair enough, Fishlegs." Johann snatched it almost instantly as Fishlegs scampered off. While everyone else was admiring the 'treasure' and goods that Johann had found, I started wandering around to see what he had.

Most of it was stuff I had no interest in. A few unusual looking chickens were put in a cage, along with some cattle I'd seen in picture books. For the most part I really didn't see anything that I thought was worth the wait. That was when Trader Johann approached me.

"Aye lass, find anything that peeks your interests?" he asked, genuinely curious. I eyed the stuff around me skeptically as more of the villagers started bartering his merchandise.

"Do you have anything dragon related?" I asked warily. Maybe asking about those people wasn't such a good idea. Johann looked at me in surprise before nodding. He disappeared below deck for a few minutes before reappearing with something in his hands.

"This, me lass, is something I found during my journey to Berk," he explained before revealing the object. "I had to fight through a horde of dragons in order to get it, so I hope you have something worth trading."

"Let me see what you have first," I said while folding my arms. Johann chuckled until noticing my serious look.

"Smart girl, I'll give ya that," he muttered while showing what he'd been hiding. My eyes widened when I saw that it was a necklace; the end was carved of some kind of stone. But what really caught my eye was the fact that it was shaped in the wing of a dragon. I couldn't really tell what dragon it was, but I did like it.

"Hm…." I stared at the necklace, all the while a few other Vikings had stopped to barter with Johann, whose eye started twitching as he waited for me to say something. "Alright, what do you want for it?" I asked carefully.

"What've you got on ya?" Johann watched me carefully as I pulled something out of my pocket. It was kind of a risky move, but I figured that no harm would come out of it. The object in my hand was actually a scale. A White Terror scale to be more precise. Snowfire had dropped it a day ago and I thought of how pretty it looked in the sunlight. Johann's eyes lit up at the sight of the scale. "Beautiful," he marveled while trying to reach out.

"Ah," I pulled it away just as he was about to grab it. "Necklace first." Johann gave me a scowl before quickly passing the necklace. I tossed him the scale shortly after and looked at the necklace itself. "Thank you."

I turned just in time to see Stoick holding up another sword.

"Wow, another sword," Hiccup muttered as I walked past. "Just what we need."

"If you must know, it's not for me," Stoick explained with a roll of his eyes. "I'm heading off to my yearly meeting with the Chief of Shivering Shores. That man that last came without a gift left without a head." I laughed as he accidentally cut the head off of a figurine. He then turned to Johann, showing off the sword. "Johann, what will you take in trade?"

"Stoick, it is but your good graces that I desire when my humble ship visits Berk," Johann replied with a bow. I only rolled my eyes.

"You're always welcome on the shores of Berk," Stoick bellowed heartily. "I'll be back in five days," he added as he walked off the ship. "What am I saying? I'll be back in two, thanks to Thornado." He mounted the Thunderdrum waiting just off of the docks.

"Ah, you finally named him," Hiccup said. "Thornado huh?"

"That's right! 'Cause he has the power of Thor and the ferocity of a tornado!" Stoick replied. Thornado kept squirming as if he was eager to get going. "And besides, it's the only thing he'll answer to. Turns out he's quite stubborn!"

"Gee, I can't imagine where he gets that from," I muttered under my breath.

"Up Thornado!" Stoick commanded. Thornado let out a roar and took off, soaring high in the sky.

"Ah, men riding dragons," Johann marveled with amazement. "What a magnificent sight." Snowfire than jumped down from the cliff and landed on the beach, startling Johann from his trance.

'_Did you find anything interesting_?' she asked as I approached her casually. I patted her on the head with a smirk before showing off the necklace. She gave it a curious sniff before snorting in annoyance. '_That trinket has no value to me_!' she said with a growl.

"But it does to me," I replied while putting it on. It really did look pretty, and I was glad Johann had traded it. Snowfire only hummed in amusement before I climbed into her saddle and she took off.

...

We had reached the Dragon Academy just in time to see Tuffnut setting something up. I narrowed my eyes thoughtfully when I saw that it was a new statue.

"How does it look?" asked Tuffnut as he looked up at the tall stone statue.

"Beautiful!" replied Ruffnut as she admired it.

"You got that just for the academy?" Hiccup's voice came from behind. I did have to wonder why the twins would enjoy decorations. Most of their time was spent destroying things rather than giving them some kind of appreciation.

"Yeah, we got it from Trader Johann," Tuffnut explained with a nod. "We have to give him our great-grandfather's skull. We got to keep his clavicle." What was a clavicle? I really didn't know that much about medical stuff, even though my mom worked shifts at the hospital. She never did teach me anything she had learned.

"Wow! You know, it's about time you guys started taking some pride in this place," Hiccup praised them. Something told me that the statue wasn't for decoration.

"Duck!" Tuffnut suddenly yelled.

"What?" Hiccup barely had a chance to respond before Tuffnut pulled him down as Barf and Belch launched a fireball at one of the statues. The statue staggered only a little bit. I was surprised it didn't blow up the second their fire hit it.

"That was awesome!" Snotlout exclaimed. "I wanna take a shot!" He quickly jumped onto Hookfang's neck. "Fire!" he commanded. Hookfang quickly shot a fireball at the statue; it did only did the same thing.

Astrid was eager to do some target practice with Stormfly. She signaled her Deadly Nadder to fire her spikes, and Stormfly did as she was told. Spikes were hurtled at the statue, landing above one another in an almost straight line.

"That was awesome!" she said with some excitement. Toothless and Snowfire were eager to try it out as well.

"Wanna try freezing it?" I asked as she stood over me. Snowfire simply nodded in response before trying to fire a shot of ice, only to sneeze. Toothless had tried doing the same, and his sneeze ended up nearly roasting Snotlout. Snotlout screamed as he tried dodging the blasts.

"That's strange," Hiccup remarked.

"Yeah." I rubbed Snowfire's snout as she made a soft crooning sound. "You okay, Snow?" Instead of getting a response like usual, she just stared at me blankly. "Something's wrong; I can't hear her thoughts."

"Maybe she's had enough with you," Astrid suggested with a shrug. I only glared at her before Snotlout finally spoke up.

"Hey! Could you two have your dragons cover their mouths when they sneeze?" Snotlout demanded in an angry voice. Then again Snotlout always sounded like that. I don't think it's possible for him to have a gentle side, unless one counts the times he's alone with Hookfang.

"I'm sorry," Hiccup apologized. "But that's never happened before." He glanced at both Toothless and Snowfire. Snowfire was very similar to a Night Fury. It could be possible that if Toothless was sick, than maybe she had gotten the same sickness. Snowfire only snorted and rolled her eyes at our concern, while Toothless looked at us sheepishly.

"I wonder if they're sick?" I asked. But they didn't sneeze fire or ice this time, and seemed okay. I was still worried though when Snowfire didn't speak to me. She only made a crooning sound before gesturing towards the gate, as if asking to fly around for a bit.

Luckily we did just that after Astrid went off to fly on Stormfly. Everything seemed perfectly fine as we flew around the island. Maybe I was worrying for nothing and Snowfire was just tired. Or she was annoyed with something I did. Wouldn't be the first time she was annoyed and didn't say anything.

"Look at those flowers!" Astrid suddenly pointed out a bush of flowers we were approaching. "They're beautiful." My heart nearly skipped a beat when both Toothless and Snowfire started acting strange again. Both dragons started to falter in mid-flight, startling us both. "Whoa! Hey, what are you doing?" Astrid demanded as the two of us almost collided with Stormfly.

"Do you really think I'd want to crash into you?" I snapped while trying to keep Snowfire calm. Something was definitely wrong here. She didn't usually falter in her flight unless she was startled.

"It's not me!" Hiccup added. "Uh, okay, Toothless," he said nervously. By now Toothless' flight was becoming unstable.

It was like something had suddenly possessed both dragons as they lost focus. Their struggle to stay airborne was really starting to scare me. I had almost forgotten about what happened in my world until now, and it only brought back painful memories.

"Brace for impact!" Hiccup shouted as we both started to crash. Once the dust had settled Hiccup checked to make sure Toothless was okay, while I was still struggling to stand up. "Toothless, are you alright?" Hiccup placed a hand on Toothless' snout as he crooned in response.

I checked on Snowfire shortly after, getting the same reaction. "I wish you could tell me what was wrong," I sighed as she pressed her forehead to mine. She wasn't hurt, but I could _feel_ that something wasn't right.

"Maybe he and Snowfire have colds or something," Hiccup suggested warily. "Do dragons get colds?" I helped Snowfire back to her feet and shook my head.

"I don't know," I admitted with a shrug. "I've never seen anything like this."

"Whoa!" Astrid jumped off of Stormfly as she landed nearby. "Look at that!" She was pointing to a Terrible Terror who looked just as sick as Toothless and Snowfire. "Well, whatever it is, looks like he got it too."

I gently picked up the little dragon before stroking it's spines carefully. "Poor little guy," I murmured sympathetically. "We need to bring them to Gobber, I'm sure she'll have something that can help them. If worse comes to worse than we'll need to consult with Gothi." Hiccup nodded in agreement before returning to Toothless' side.

"Okay, come on Toothless, time to get you back to the house," Hiccup coaxed Toothless forward as the Night Fury stumbled towards him on weak legs. Snowfire slowly but surely did the same while I held the Terrible Terror.

It took us longer to get back on foot, especially with two sick dragons slowing us down. Not that I didn't mind. I was just as worried as Hiccup about Snowfire. She hadn't spoken to me once since this morning.

Luckily Astrid had gotten Gobber to pay us a visit. He came back to the Haddock house with a remedy in his hand. I eyed the cauldron skeptically when I saw the look the dragons gave him. Clearly they were not going to enjoy this.

"This'll fix 'em right up," Gobber proclaimed.

"What is it?" Hiccup asked warily.

"It's best not to ask," he replied. "And whatever you do, don't touch it." He set the cauldron with a vile-smelling green goop down. Toothless and Snowfire sneezed all over and splashed Gobber with it. "Well, that's ruined! I'll never get that yak to vomit again."

"There was _yak vomit_ in that?" I nearly yelled with a horrified look. Hiccup was ready to ask the same thing when Astrid suddenly came bursting in, looking more worried than anything else.

"Hiccup! You've gotta see this," she breathed out. I rolled my eyes when she didn't bother saying my name. Hiccup took no notice of it though as he left the house, with me following shortly after. What we saw next stopped us in our tracks. Snowfire and Toothless weren't the only sick dragons around here.

"Easy, easy! Whoa!" Snotlout hollered as Hookfang flew around in lazy circles.

"Help her, Hiccup and Alex! She's sick! Whoa, and I'm about to be!" Fishlegs gulped; his face started turning pale as Meatlug had trouble flying straight. The twins on their Zippleback flew right past, yelping as Barf and Belch took wild turns they usually didn't.

"Hiccup, what are we going to do?" I asked when I realized that the sickness was spreading fast. "Even I don't know about healing sicknesses." Hiccup looked just as afraid as I felt and was looking for an answer. Suddenly Gobber spoke up from behind us.

"Gothi! She'll know what to do!" Gobber went off to fetch the elder while we looked after the dragons. I looked around in time to see Spikes struggling to stand on his own feet. Without a second word I rushed over and scooped him up as Barf and Belch nearly crashed into him.

"It's okay," I reassured him as he started shivering in my arms. "I've never seen it this bad," I murmured with a shudder. Then again I haven't been around for that long. But I hated seeing anyone sick, especially when it came to the ones I cared about.

Gobber returned moments later with the elderly woman. Gothi went to work immediately looking over Toothless. Snowfire had put up so much of a fuss that we had to hide her in the house for now. But as Gothi started checking Toothless over, all of us gathered to discuss the issues concerning our dragons. All the while Hiccup stayed by Toothless' side to make sure she didn't hurt him, or the other way around.

"I've heard Gothi can tell when you're gonna die just by looking at your fingernails," Astrid murmured. Fishlegs' eyes widened in horror before he quickly put his hands behind his back.

"Ah, that's an old wives' tale," Gobber told them, then smirked at Fishlegs when his tongue was sticking out. "She looks at your _tongue_." Fishlegs than looked at Gobber before putting it back into his mouth.

Gothi stood up and hobbled over to her staff so that she could scribble into the dirt. Apparently that was the only way she could communicate. I wasn't sure if she was mute or if she just chose not to talk at all. Either way it did kind of creep me out.

"She says the dragons are reacting ta something," Gobber explained as she scribbled down random words. Random to me, but oddly enough everyone else could read them. "Like they're allergic."

"Allergic to what?" Hiccup asked while kneeling next to Toothless. Gothi kept scribbling in the dirt while Gobber squinted his eyes to see and read slowly.

"To… a moose… wearin' boots. Shouldn't be too hard to find," Gobber said. Then Gothi whacked him in the face with her staff and scowled at him. "Don't think that was right," he muttered while rubbing his jaw.

"Let me try," Hiccup suggested. Luckily he was able to read the scribbles as well, "they're allergic to something new that just came on the island!"

"I still think that looks like a moose," Gobber muttered. Gothi rolled her eyes and whacked him over the head again.

"Well, there are a lot of new things on the island," I pointed out. Everyone started looking nervous as I went on, "that Trader Johann guy was just here." Gothi nodded and started writing again.

"She says ta get rid of everything immediately," Gobber read in a grim voice. "Otherwise things are gonna to get worse. The dragons are going to get sicker."

All I could think of was making sure that everyone was okay. There was no way in hell I'd let anyone die today, not if I could help it.

...

Later that day, we were all gathered at the edge of a cliff overlooking a pit. We'd dug it up earlier before the villagers started to line up. Everyone had the stuff they bought from Trader Johann. I was reluctant to get rid of the necklace I bartered off of him, and it looked like I wasn't the only one.

"I know, this is hard, guys, but I promised you you're doing a good thing," Hiccup assured everyone staring at the pit reluctantly. "You're helping out the dragons."

"It's the least we can do for them," I added.

"Goodbye beautiful," Snotlout sniffed as he looked at his mirror. Then he threw it into the pit with everyone else.

"What are you doing?" Ruffnut demanded, glaring at Fishlegs as he started flipping through the pages in his book. "Throw it in!"

"I'm sorry, but this botany book is a real page-turner!" he explained. "I have to know how it ends!"

With a grunt, Ruffnut tore it out of his grasp and threw the book into the pit. Fishlegs let out a sob as he watched the book sank down into the pit.

"Well, so much for holding on to this," I muttered as I took off the necklace. Once it was tossed into the pit we all looked at Gobber expectantly. "I don't see you throwing anything in," I said in an accusing tone.

"And I thought I saw you buy something from Trader Johann?" Hiccup added while glaring at him accusingly.

"He did it! He bought the silk!" Astrid said, walking up to us.

"Hand it over, Gobber," Hiccup reached out with a hand.

"Can't do that, Hiccup," Gobber told us. "It's uh, currently under use. It's me skivvies. They're glorious!" I tried not to smirk at the expression on his face.

"Gobber!" I said, glaring at him.

"Fine!" Gobber sighed in frustration before walking over to a boulder. Seconds later and a pair of purple underpants went flying out and into the pit. Gobber than walked out and pulled up his pants, whistling as though nothing had happened.

"I could have gone my entire life without seeing that," Hiccup muttered.

"You and me both," I nodded in agreement.

...

During the following morning I woke up to find that Snowfire wasn't in much better condition. I let out a sigh and knelt down to check her temperature. It had felt off yesterday when we were in the field of flowers, but seeing her now only made me feel more worried.

She barely moved a muscle as I stood back up.

"Don't worry girl," I murmured as I rubbed her back. She was curled up on the stone slab, with Spikes resting nearby. He hardly moved since I brought him back here. "I promise that I'll find out who did this. And when I do, I'll let you bite their head off."

To my surprise she actually moved a little at that. I let out another sigh before heading out to see how the others were fairing. Maybe someone had discovered the reasons behind the dragons getting sick. Or once again my hope was just wishful thinking.

"We got rid of everything from Trader Johann," Fishlegs fretted once we were all gathered. "But our dragons aren't getting better, they're getting worse!"

"Yeah, Snowfire could barely move this morning." My voice was barely a whisper. It was weird not having someone to talk to during the night. Having Snowfire by my side had become almost a habit. And a good one at that.

"Let's make a list," Hiccup said while counting his fingers. "Maybe there's someone who bought something from Trader Johann and hasn't thrown it into the pit," he suggested.

"Yeah, there must be someone who didn't give up something they bought," Astrid said, shooting me an icy look.

"Why are you glaring at me?" I demanded angrily. "I gave up what I bought, Hiccup was right next to me the whole time."

"She's right on that one," Hiccup added. Astrid only narrowed her eyes before looking away in annoyance.

"If I find out who's done this, I'm going to be so mad! Hookfang was so sick last night. I was up all night scraping dragon barf off our walls!" Snotlout was seething with frustration as he leaned against said dragon.

"Yeah, well ours is dead!" Tuffnut said. Astrid gasped and we all stared at him in horror. "Just kidding. But he isn't that fun anymore." He looked at the sleeping Barf and Belch as if to prove a point. I only rolled my arms at the remark.

"He just sits there! He doesn't blow anything up!" Ruffnut added. There was a sudden roar as Stoick and Thornado returned at Hiccup's house.

"Hiccup!" Stoick called once he landed. "Put this in the Book of Dragons: 'Never fly on a stomach full of undercooked mutton.' The Shivering Shores will never be the same." That was when he noticed something was wrong. "What is it, Hiccup?" he asked in a voice full of concern. "What's wrong?"

"It's the dragons, dad," Hiccup explained. "They're sick."

"And getting worse," I added.

"Every dragon? Even Snowfire?" Stoick looked at me in surprise as I nodded.

"Yeah, every dragon…. I wish there was something I could do about it," I said.

...

I was sitting outside on my steps while letting Snowfire get some rest. She was so sick that she had slept for most of the day, and was still fast asleep. Things were starting to look grim as even Thornado let out a loud sneeze.

"Sneezing, that's the first symptom," I heard Hiccup say. Stoick had to pull him aside when Thornado sneezed. The force of it was strong enough to send a sonic boom across the plaza.

"But he was just fine until we got back!" Stoick said. To my surprise he was actually worried about Thornado. The Thunderdrum was laying on his side, looking more pitiful than anything else.

"We should retrace your steps," Hiccup suggested, and Stoick nodded in agreement. I stood up and quickly made my way to where Stoick had landed. Much to my surprise the others were gathered there as well.

"Well, this is where I landed," Stoick said, looking around.

"Maybe we should try looking for anything out of the ordinary," I suggested with a shrug.

"Does that count?" Fishlegs asked, pointing. All of us looked in that direction to see the twins crouch onto all fours, than leap at each other, their helmets crashing with a loud clang. What the heck was wrong with those two?

"I'm seeing stars!" Ruffnut said.

"No way, me too!" Tuffnut added.

"Hmm, nothing unusual here," Astrid said. Then she noticed that Hiccup was staring at something. "What is it?"

I had noticed it as well. It was faint, but loud enough for me to recognize the call of a Terrible Terror beyond the twins. I peered over Fishlegs' shoulder in time to see it sniffing a bush full of blue flowers. The same ones we had landed in when our dragons got sick.

We walked over to investigate the unusual plant. I've actually always appreciated nature, but from a safe distance. But even I knew something was odd about these flowers. The leaves were broad and covered the entire plant. The flowers were blue, darkening into my favorite color, purple, at the edges, with five petals and a white center.

"Does anyone remember seeing these flowers before?" Hiccup asked, picking one for everyone to see.

"Actually I did see them yesterday before we crashed," I admitted guiltily. "I didn't think much of it because I thought that's where they belonged."

"And they were here when I got back," Stoick added.

"It looks an awful lot like a Blue Oleander," Fishlegs said while looking at the flower curiously. "I recognize it from my botany book, chapter eight."

"Is there anything specific you can remember from it?" Hiccup asked.

"They're very pretty, very soft, perennial, and…." Fishlegs' face turned from a look of fascination to dread. "… and very poisonous to reptiles," he finished.

"Which means poisonous to dragons!" I gasped in realization. Fishlegs dropped the flower in horror.

"This is serious," Hiccup added. "Did your book say anything about a cure?"

"I don't know," Fishlegs replied. "I didn't get to finish because _somebody_ made me throw it in the pit."

"Well than we have to dig it up!" Hiccup ordered. Fishlegs than ran over to the pit and started to dig it up.

"I don't understand," I murmured while looking at the flowers. "Where did these flowers come from?"

"Mildew," Tuffnut replied. We all turned to look at him in surprise. "I saw him plant them the other day," he explained with a shrug.

"And you didn't think that was strange?" Astrid demanded.

"No!" Tuffnut retorted. "Well, maybe…. I don't know! Quit pressuring me!" he yelled, turning away uncomfortably.

There was a loud sneeze from Thornado, that sent the Oleander leaves flying, even from this distance. "Then let's go pay the old man a visit, shall we?" Stoick suggested.

We wasted no time in reaching Mildew's house. I stood next to Hiccup as Stoick pried out Mildew when the old man refused to answer the door. He really did have to make things worse, didn't he? Of course he would be behind the dragons getting sick.

"So what if I planted a few flowers?" Mildew protested once Stoick was finished interrogating him. "The town's square never looked better! I was merely trying to spread beauty and happiness."

"Since when do you care about happiness?" I demanded, folding my arms and glaring at him.

"You did this," Hiccup said in an accusing tone.

"I… what…." Mildew stuttered, clearly outraged at the accusation. "I had no inkling, Stoick, that these flowers had special properties. Now it's no secret that I'm no friend to the dragons, but in this case, on me life, I was not trying to harm them."

"I'd sooner believe that pigs fly than believe your story," I snapped. Mildew's glare became icy as he looked at me.

"And we never did find out who blew up the armory," Hiccup put in with a glare of his own.

"You have no proof that I did it," Mildew retorted.

"Let's go," Stoick ordered. As we started walking out of the house, I noticed that Mildew was smirking triumphantly.

"Ah those poor dragons," he said with a grin.

As we made our way back to the forge, my fists balled up with anger. I knew that Mildew was the one behind this. We just didn't have enough proof. If I could I would've let Snowfire bite his head off right than and there.

Fishlegs had entered the forge just as we got there, gasping for breath. I didn't miss the fact that he had found his botany book either, much to everyone's relief.

"Fishlegs, you found your botany book," Hiccup said in a voice full of hope.

"What does the book say?" I asked. Fishlegs was gasping for breath, and it didn't take long for us both to realize that he was hyperventilating. "Calm down," I said slowly. Fishlegs swallowed and took a deep breath before finally speaking again.

"My botany book says that the Blue Oleander is poisonous to reptiles!" he nearly shouted. The tears on his face made me roll my eyes; that was something we already established. "Dragons are reptiles!"

"We know, Fishlegs! Was there anything else?" Hiccup asked, obviously feeling exasperated. Fishlegs was still hyperventilating but managed to calm down enough to talk again.

"Not in here!" he replied, closing the book. While he was holding on to his book, I noticed the Book of Dragons and picked it up. There was something that could be useful in here, but I couldn't quite remember exactly where I found it.

"Isn't there a dragon that feeds on the Blue Oleander?" I asked while flipping through the pages. Finally I stopped at the Scauldron. I placed the book on a desk as everyone gathered to read the info.

The Scauldron was a Tidal Class dragon. It was huge with a whale-like body, a round belly and snake-like head. In all it reminded me of the Loch Ness Monster. It had a pelican-like pouch under it's jaw, and it's wings and tail reminded me of a fish's fin.

"If it eats the flowers than it's possible to make an antidote," I explained. "But does the Scauldron have venom?"

"Aye!" Gobber joined us right at that moment, walking up to the desk where I had the book placed. "I've dealt with Scauldron's before. They're sixty feet long with razor-sharp teeth! They shoot boiling water ta melt the flesh of your bones! The Scauldron has no fear, no conscience, but what it does have is venom, and lots of it!"

"Well, I'd say that's convincing enough," I said after closing the book. "Who's ready to fish up a dragon?"

"I'm out," Tuffnut said, walking away.

"I'm with him," Ruffnut added.

"You guys stay here and take care of the dragons," Hiccup told them. "Just try and make the comfortable."

"Be careful with Snowfire," I put in with a smirk. "She might accidentally mistake you for Mildew." The twins exchanged anxious looks before shrugging.

"What are you two going to do?" Fishlegs asked nervously.

"Dad, Gobber, let's go find ourselves a Scauldron," Hiccup said while looking at them.

"I thought you'd never ask!" Gobber exclaimed with a smile.

I quickly returned to my room so that I could get ready. Snowfire was still laying on her side, her breathing faint. I placed a hand on her shoulder before taking a deep breath. This wasn't going to be easy, especially when we tried coming up with an antidote. But I wasn't going to let her or any of the dragons die.

"Everything will be fine," I reassured her in a soft voice. "I promise."

Snowfire stirred only a little as I picked up a few things. I'd managed to find a knife that I could defend myself with and hid it where only I would find it. Seconds later I made sure that everything else was in order before heading to the boat.

What I saw next caught me by surprise. Stoick had forced Mildew on to the ship, along with a pile of Blue Oleander flowers. I tried not to smirk as Gobber blocked the only exit Mildew had.

"But this is an outrage!" Mildew complained as I got on board. "I dug up the flower, I did my part!" But Stoick only folded his arms and glared at Mildew.

"We're all out here because of you, Mildew!" he snapped. "If we have to put our lives at risk, than so do you!" The glare Mildew gave him almost made me laugh. If it was me leading the village, I would've slugged him right than and there.

"You have no proof, Stoick!" Mildew retorted. "You can't blame me for every time something goes amiss with your precious dragons!" Stoick wasn't swayed as Mildew glared him in the eye.

"You know, I wouldn't want to be on the island right now if I were you," I piped in with a grin. Mildew turned to glare at me this time.

"Oh, and why is that?" he demanded.

"Well, because everyone had to throw away all of the things they got from Trader Johann," I began. Mildew's face fell when realization dawned on him. "And they might not be too happy knowing that you were the cause of that."

"Alright Stoick, what's your plan?" Gobber asked while holding on to a bucket. Stoick turned so that he was facing both me and Hiccup.

"Hiccup, when Gobber and I secure the Scauldron's head, Sven will wedge it's jaw open. We'll need you and Alex to—"

"To drain the poison into the bucket, got it," Hiccup finished with a nod. "Let's get started." I nodded in agreement before rushing over to the ledge in order to drop the sack of Blue Oleanders into the ocean down below.

"This is what the Scauldron likes to eat," I murmured almost to myself. "Hopefully it'll draw them in like sharks to chum." I shuddered at the memory of watching documentaries on sharks. Worst two hours of school I'd had.

Hiccup had put down the bucket and helped me pour the flowers into the ocean, watching as they floated under the boat. Hours seemed to pass and nothing had happened. Of course being stuck on a boat with the old man I practically hated didn't help.

"This will never work!" Mildew started complaining again. "This was a stupid idea to begin with!" Hiccup looked like he was ready to smack Mildew upside the head, and I couldn't blame him.

"Easy you two," Stoick suddenly scolded when he noticed the glares we were giving. "That's not why we're here." Technically the bastard is the reason we're here.

"But that is," Gobber said, pointing down to the water. We all looked down in time to see a luminous green-blue monster swimming around just below the ship.

"Scauldron!" Stoick breathed. It's tail broke the surface just behind the boat with a rippling, splashing sound. Then it's head rose above the surface with an eerie sound that was similar to that of a humpback whale.

"I may need to change my skivvies again," Gobber muttered nervously.

"We need to lure the Scauldron on deck!" Hiccup cried while spreading the flowers everywhere.

"Oh that's just great, get it on ship where it can eat us all!" Mildew yelled.

"We could just throw you overboard," I suggested. Thankfully Mildew fell silent after that.

"Gobber, you secure it's neck with this," Stoick ordered while tossing him a rope. "I'll lasso it's horn!" The two men ran over to the bow of the boat, ready for anything.

What we weren't ready for was it to suddenly disappear. A full minute went by before we all started to get nervous. I feel like something like this happened right before an attack. Sea creatures were known to be ambush predators, especially sharks and dolphins.

"Where did it go?" Gobber asked.

The next few minutes had gone by the same way. But suddenly Sven's (another Viking we had taken with us), ore was taken away and dragged into the water. My heart nearly skipped a beat when something rammed into the ship.

"Everyone hold on to something!" Hiccup shouted. I was quick to grab hold of a pole as the Scauldron hit the boat again. This time though it was thrown into the air for a few seconds before landing with a mighty crash. Water whipped up on the sides of the boat as waves were picked up from the Scauldron's passage.

I held back a cry of shock as we were all thrown to the deck. As Mildew picked himself up, the Scauldron's head popped out of the water. The moment Mildew saw it he started screaming and scrambled to his feet so that he could run away.

The Scauldron rose higher above us, holding on to the ship with it's legs. It's legs caused the ship to sway violently, and we all began to lose our balance as the incline increased rapidly.

"Hiccup, I gotcha!" Gobber said as he grabbed Hiccup with his free hand, while his hook latched on to the wood. As I came tumbling past I grabbed Hiccup by the foot, careful not to hurt him.

As the Oleanders were scattered everywhere, the Scauldron started to eat as many as it could. It was amazing that a dragon could actually eat those things without getting sick.

"Gobber, here's our chance!" Stoick yelled. He and Gobber slid down towards the Scauldron, then snagged its horn and neck, and finally dragged it onto deck. It screeched in response. It's body started to slip down into the water, giving the boat a chance to right itself.

The Scauldron had managed to temporarily overpower Stoick and Gobber. It retreated into the water, but was quickly pulled back on deck, which caused the ship to level out. The Scauldron tried returning to the water, but Gobber and Stoick used all of their strength to make sure that it stay put.

"We can't let that dragon get back into the water!" Stoick shouted as he and Gobber pulled at the ropes. "Sven, we need that barrel now!" The Viking in question quickly ran towards the Scauldron's snapping jaws.

"I've got the bucket!" I called while grabbing the bucket.

"Careful, Alex!" Stoick shouted once again. "You don't want to get that venom in you."

"Yeah, no kidding!" I snapped. The Scauldron suddenly let out a roar, and Sven used the opportunity to throw a barrel into its maw. The Scauldron growled in frustration when it couldn't close it's mouth. But just as soon as the barrel was thrown into place, the Scauldron managed to crush it with massive force.

"Sven, watch out!" The Scauldron had started to raise it's tail while Sven was still standing there, gaping in shock. The tail swatted Sven into the air, and moments later he sank into the water. The tail vanished for a moment, before reappearing seconds later right behind us. "Son, Alex, watch out!"

"Dad!" Hiccup cried out when the Scauldron brought it's tail to the mast. Stoick grabbed it without hesitation, managing to trap the Scauldron's tail.

"I've got the tail!" Stoick told us.

"Hiccup, Alex, grab Stoick's line!" Gobber ordered.

I put down the bucket and grabbed the rope still dangling from the Scauldron's horn, Hiccup doing the same. We pulled down with as much strength as we could muster.

"Pull it in! Use the mast to wedge it's jaw open," Stoick added. Finally we managed to pull it up towards the mast. The Scauldron's mouth was trapped by a thick piece of wood. Mildew suddenly found himself getting uncomfortably close to both sets of it's sharp fangs. "Mildew, grab the bucket!" Stoick snapped as Mildew stared on in horror.

"Hold on," Mildew began to protest, "it's one thing to—"

"Grab the bucket or I'll throw you overboard myself!" Stoick yelled furiously. He was hanging on to the mast with all his strength while the rest of us did the same. And let me tell you, this wasn't easy. My muscles were already screaming in protest.

Mildew grumbled under his breath while reaching for the bucket, but before he could get closer, steam began to escape from the Scauldron's mouth.

"Everyone take cover!"

We all dropped our ropes and hid ourselves behind a stray shield. Mildew rushed underneath an empty crate as the Scauldron released boiling water from it's jaws. The scalding hot water had washed over everything in front of it, but luckily no one was caught in it's path.

Unfortunately for Stoick, the mast snapped and he fell into the water. Hiccup tried to run over but Gobber stopped him just in time. The ropes holding the Scauldron suddenly snapped, and of course everything went from bad to worse as Mildew took one look at it. The Scauldron let out a fearsome roar that sent Mildew screaming and running around the boat like he was the insane one.

I tried not to smirk when I noticed a Blue Oleander stuck to Mildew's pants. The Scauldron had noticed it as well and licked it's lips. Without warning it lunged down and snapped it's jaw around his rear. Mildew howled in pain and fell to the floor while I struggled to hold back a fit of laughter. Once the Scauldron had enough it sank back into the water, taking with it our only chance to get the venom.

"It's gone," Hiccup murmured as we reached the bow of the ship. Gobber helped Stoick back up when he was climbing the side of the ship, looking more relieved than anything else.

"And you can bet that the last place he'll be is this ship," Gobber added as he and Stoick joined us.

"We didn't get the venom," Stoick added.

"Actually, Mildew has some of the venom in his butt," I said, much to my chagrin. Hiccup smirked as Mildew howled in pain, clutching his rear end.

"Get this poison out of me!" Mildew screamed.

"Oh, we will," Hiccup promised as I laughed. Mildew just looked at us with a look of alarm when he realized what Hiccup meant by that.

...

It was later that night we arrived on Berk. We were all gathered outside listening to Mildew scream in pain as the venom was taken out of his sorry ass. I was struggling not to laugh, mostly because the stress of today had finally gotten to me. Knowing that Mildew was in that amount of pain was more reassuring than I realized.

"Can you believe we're just standing out here waiting for something to come out of Mildew's butt?" Tuffnut asked. His eyes held a spark of mischief in them as we all waited eagerly for the antidote.

"That's the sound of our dragons getting better," I said after catching my breath.

"Are you actually enjoying this?" Astrid asked with the slightest smirks.

"Hey, considering what the asshole did to our dragons, he deserves every bit of this punishment," I replied.

A few more minutes of this had passed before Gobber emerged from the forge. His face was full of disgust as we all looked at him expectantly.

"I've got the antidote!" Gobber exclaimed after emerging from the forge. Everyone cheered and let out sighs of relief. Then he shuddered as memories of what just occurred took place.

"I've watched a Nadder's spine slice right through a man's eyeball like a grape, I watched me own hand get devoured by a Monstrous Nightmare. But never, _never_ have I ever seen anything so disturbing as that old man's behind!" Gobber made a face like he was about to throw up. "I'm going into the forest to scream."

"Way to take one for the team, Gobber!" Hiccup called as he left.

I spent most of the night making sure that all of the dragons on the island had gotten the antidote, along with Snowfire and Spikes. It was an exhausting night, and I practically passed out right than and there. But Snowfire had started to stir, hummed in amusement when her eyes opened.

'_It is good to see you, little hatchling_,' she crooned happily. I breathed out a sigh of relief and rested a hand on her head.

"I'm glad you're back," I whispered while grinning from ear to ear. Snowfire weakly brushed her tail across my hair, and I couldn't help but laugh at the sight. For once, everything seemed right.

...

The next day, Spikes had woken up as well and was already making his rounds. Snowfire regained her health faster than I expected and was back on her feet. Life was back to normal, for now.

A deadly flower, a venomous flower, and Mildew's ass. Three things we thought we'd never have to deal with in one day. But I am willing to do anything to keep the dragons safe, even if it means risking my own life.

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><p><strong>AN: Ah this chapter was so much fun to write. I apologize if there are any mistakes I made, I tend to speed type when it comes to writing stories XD<strong>

**silverwolvesarecool - She really does :) And I'm not sure, I would guess that it was, either that or some type of iron... They never really specified in the show.**

**69759 - Haha, I'm glad that someone got that reference :P And those sound like some pretty cool dragons. Definitely wouldn't wanna meet them in real life XD**

**HYTTD Obsessed - Thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying it so far :) And yep, Snowfire is technically Alex's dragon, though she would never go so far to admit it. And who knows? It took Astrid and Hiccup forever to actually get together, so I'm not entirely sure :P**

**Cutie Kyuubie - XD Sorry about that ^^ I usually write up to two chapters a day and wait to post the next one until the next day. Amazingly my fingers never complain about it ;) But yeah, I enjoyed this episode too. Hiccup definitely has some low self esteem issues that need to be smoothed out in the future.**


	26. Heather Report Part I

**Chapter Twenty Six**

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><p>"<em>Who knows what's right? The lines keep getting thinner, My age has never made me wise, But I keep pushing on and on and on and on, There's nothing left to say now, I'm giving up, giving up, hey hey, giving up now<em>..." Nothing Left To Say, Imagine Dragons

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><p>There are things about myself that I am only just beginning to learn. Like the fact that I can somehow bond with dragons almost immediately. And that I'm from another world. But I've realized that there is still so much to learn, and my emotions were one of those things.<p>

Hiccup and Toothless were high up in the air as the other teen Vikings were gathered at the academy. It was just another day of testing, and this time we all wanted to break our speed records. So far Hiccup and Toothless were still the second fastest. Snowfire had beaten them both with ease, and she made sure that they knew it.

'_I doubt those two would ever match my agility_,' she hummed as the two zoomed past a second time. I simply smirked and patted her on the shoulder reassuringly. After nearly losing her a few days ago, there was no way I would argue.

"Here they come!" Astrid yelled to Fishlegs as he worked with the sundial. His eyes lit up with excitement as he looked at all of us. Meanwhile Toothless landed on the arena floor with ease, crooning as the other dragons greeted him.

"Yep, a new course record," he replied with a grin.

"How'd I do?" Hiccup asked once he hopped off.

"Another new course record," I replied.

"But someone, and I'm not going to mention who, is gaining significant ground," Fishlegs said while looking down at his notepad. I only folded my arms when I saw who that someone was. Hiccup looked at the twins skeptically when Tuffnut shrugged.

"Don't look at us," he muttered.

"How can that be? How can Toothless be getting slower?" Hiccup asked. Meanwhile Astrid was rubbing Stormfly's neck as the Nadder looked around uneasily.

"He's not," Fishlegs replied. "Stormfly's getting faster." Fishlegs showed him the times as if to prove a point. Hiccup folded his arms and looked at Astrid accusingly.

"Really, is that so?" Astrid only smirked as Hiccup eyed her curiously. "Anything you'd like to share, Astrid?"

"Let's just say that I've been experimenting with what she eats," Astrid said in a smug voice. "Apparently, it's working and making you mad." She smirked as Stormfly burped out a burst of fire. Snowfire took one sniff and recoiled at the scent.

'_It reeks of chicken_,' she growled. Astrid glared at Snowfire before looking at Hiccup sheepishly. I tried not to laugh as Stormfly looked away, as if embarrassed by Snowfire's accusation. 'I am not a fan,' she muttered crossly. That was when Snotlout decided to join us, with Hookfang landing in the center of the arena.

"You are not gonna believe what I found!" he exclaimed with his arms folded triumphantly.

"A severed head?" Tuffnut guessed.

"Our cousin Lars?" Ruffnut put in.

"Our cousin Lars' severed head?" Tuffnut asked excitedly.

"Who's Lars?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Lars died?" Fishlegs' eyes widened in horror until Tuffnut looked at him in confusion.

"Who's Lars?" he asked.

"Uh, excuse me! But don't you guys wanna see this or not?" Snotlout demanded, getting annoyed that we were ignoring him.

"Lead the way," I replied, deciding to humor him.

Snotlout just grinned and he and Hookfang headed out, with us following on our dragons. Hookfang and Snotlout had led us to one of Berk's many beaches. What was on the beach surprised everyone.

A boat was washed up on the beach. It was lifted just slightly enough for someone to shelter under, with parts of it missing. Whoever was under there must have suffered from a crash landing. Either that or they got caught in a storm.

"Huh, a wrecked boat on Berk. Yeah, that's something new," Tuffnut said while eying the boat curiously.

"Just remember, I saw it first, so it's mine!" Snotlout reminded us.

"You do realize that it's just a wrecked boat, right? What's so special about it?" I asked skeptically.

Snotlout was only grinning from ear to ear as he showed us what was under the boat. My eyes widened in disbelief when we saw that it was an unconscious girl.

"Whoa, now I like the boat!" Tuffnut said in a dreamy voice.

"Remember, _I_ get to keep her!" Snotlout boasted.

"Snotlout, she's a person," I snapped. I was disgusted with the way Snotlout thought he already owned her. And judging by the look Astrid was giving him, she felt the same way.

"Right? How lucky am I?" he asked in a voice full of excitement.

"You know, there's a name for people like you in my world," I muttered crossly. "But saying it out loud would be incredibly inappropriate here." Hiccup meanwhile, was creeping up to the unconscious girl.

"Uh, hey. Hey there…." He softly shook her awake. The girl groggily opened her eyes and nearly squeaked when she saw so many unfamiliar faces and started to back away. "It's okay. We're friends," he reassured her. The girl coughed a little before speaking for the first time.

"D-Do you have any water?" she rasped.

Hiccup was about to give her a canteen when Snotlout, Fishlegs and Tuffnut shoved their way in while fighting over who got to serve her. In the end, Snotlout won.

"Allow me," he said with a triumphant smirk.

"Thank you," she said gratefully before taking a sip. After she drank enough water, she turned to Hiccup once more. "W-Where am I?" she asked warily.

"This is Berk," Hiccup replied. That was when Toothless decided to poke his head in. I tried not to laugh as the girl yelped and scuttled away. "Uh, do-don't be afraid! He won't hurt you! Hey, come out. It's okay." Slowly but surely Hiccup managed to coax the girl out. "Easy bud," he said to Toothless.

"How did you do that?" the girl asked in amazement. I folded my arms when I studied the girl for the first time. She had raven black hair and green eyes. Her clothes were that of a Viking, and nothing unusual really stood out. That was when Snowfire suddenly let out a low growl, causing the girl to gasp in shock.

'_I do not like her stench_,' Snowfire hissed. Her words were directed towards the girl, but as usual only I could hear.

"Easy Snow," I murmured while rubbing her snout. Snowfire only let out another growl before brushing her snout against my hand.

"That? That's nothin'. Watch _this_. Hookfang, your butt over here now!" Snotlout shouted to his dragon, who simply ignored his rider and ran away. Snotlout only laughed nervously and tried shaking it off. "He'll be back, the jokester. Oh! And just so you know, _I'm_ the one who rescued you."

"And I would be Hiccup," Hiccup introduced himself after rolling his eyes at Snotlout.

"Heather," the girl replied in a quiet tone.

"So, Heather, what happened to you?" Astrid asked. Heather's face fell and she looked down at the beach.

"My family and I were on our way home to our island when our boat was attacked by pirates," she explained.

"I wanna be a pirate!" Tuffnut suddenly piped in. Everyone gave him weird looks. "O-Or a fish cleaner. Still on the fence."

"You were saying?" Astrid turned back to Heather, gesturing for her to continue.

"They attacked our boat and took us back to our island, laying siege to it," she continued in a grim voice. "I was able to escape but my mother and father; they weren't so lucky." She looked across the ocean with a heavy sigh.

"Stupid pirates!" Tuffnut muttered angrily. "I definitely wanna be a fish-cleaner now."

"I understand a bit of what that's like," I murmured under my breath.

My gaze darkened almost immediately as I thought of my mom and dad. Mom was back in my old world, at least I hoped that was the case, while dad…. I wasn't sure what had happened to him. I still couldn't shake off the feeling that he was the one who sent Alvin and the Outcasts.

"Hey, everything's going to be okay," Hiccup reassured her. She turned and looked at Hiccup hopefully. "My dad's the chief, he'll figure something out."

'_I still do not trust her_,' Snowfire snapped.

"Give her a chance," I told her with a shrug. "I'm sure things will work out in the end."

Hiccup helped Heather onto Toothless as they took off back to his place. Fishlegs and the twins took off shortly after while I hopped onto Snowfire.

"Yeah, and don't forget, we're meeting tomorrow to work on our times!" Astrid called cheerfully. "Unless of course, you want Stormfly to be the fastest dragon in the Book of Dragons." I only rolled my eyes at her comment, while Snowfire glared.

'_She would have to eat a hundred chickens in order to catch up with me_,' she muttered crossly. I nodded in agreement as Hiccup looked over his shoulder in surprise.

"Yeah, that's not going to happen," he called back before they took off.

Snotlout was still on the beach staring at everyone as we left. I tried not to laugh when he watched us desperately, hoping for a ride.

"Hey, can I get a ride from someone?" he yelled.

When we got back Snowfire kept muttering under her breath about not trusting Heather or how annoying Astrid was. I had to laugh at it all. Of all the dragons on Berk, I would say that Snowfire was and always will be the most competitive. She hated losing to anything, especially when it came to racing.

"Would you calm down already?" I asked while grabbing a basket of fish. Spikes eagerly jumped down from the perch and landed on the floor down below. He was quick to jump into the pile of fish when I opened up the basket. "I'm sure that Heather's fine, and Astrid's… well, Astrid."

I shrugged as Snowfire looked at me curiously.

'_Are you not worried she will sway that other hatchling_?' she asked. I nearly choked on my glass of water I set on the table. Snowfire only hummed in amusement at my reaction. '_Why are you so reluctant to admit that you are in love_?'

"Look, first of all, I am _not_ in love with anyone," I replied after taking a deep breath. "And second off, I have a very good reason for not admitting I would be in love." My vision started getting blurry as I remembered what had happened between me and my dad.

There were some things about my dad that I couldn't, or _wouldn't_ talk about. I'd already established that many times when talking to Hiccup about it. He wouldn't understand most of the crap my dad put me through anyways.

'_Someone is outside_,' Snowfire suddenly hissed. I looked up in alarm when she said that. It was already late out, so most people would be asleep by now. With a shrug I stood on my bed so that I could look out my window.

My eyes widened when I saw a figure in the distance. The figure paused and moved around a bit, as if to make sure that they weren't being followed. Once the figure disappeared into the darkness, I climbed down with some help from Snowfire.

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about," I murmured, almost to myself. But the doubt in my voice was obvious, and Snowfire knew it.

'_Are humans always this daft_?' she wondered. I only rolled my eyes in annoyance before returning to my bed. Hopefully it wasn't anything too serious. The last thing I needed right now was another adventure.

...

I woke up early the following morning to find Snowfire already awake.

"What?" was all I could ask. Snowfire just hummed and let out a huff of smoke right in my face. "Hey, save that for Astrid would ya?" I muttered, brushing the smoke away.

'_You are not usually up this early_,' she replied. I only shrugged before getting dressed. There really wasn't much I had planned for today, other than check and make sure there weren't any new dragons in the area.

Once I was ready I decided to go and see if anyone was at the arena. Much to my surprise I saw Hiccup and Heather headed for the forge. Snowfire was following me at a close distance, letting out a growl at the sight.

"Hey, what did I tell you?" I asked in a whisper. Snowfire only rolled her eyes before trotting ahead.

'_You tell me many things, hatchling_,' she retorted, crooning in laughter as I followed her. Toothless was quick to greet her as she reached the forge, happy to find another friend he could rub snouts with.

"You working on that new saddle?" I tried to keep my voice casual when I caught up. Hiccup jumped in surprise while Heather just gave me an odd look. I didn't miss the fact that her eyes had strayed over to Snowfire either. Hiccup himself had been hammering away at the connecting rod while Heather watched.

"Uh, yeah," he replied sheepishly. "Just wanted to get a jump on this." He returned to his work while Snowfire and Toothless chased each other around. I watched them with a smirk, noticing how similar Snowfire really did look compared to Toothless.

"You know, with a shorter connecting rod, it'll push you back in the saddle and make you more streamlined," Heather suddenly sputtered out. Both Hiccup and I looked at her in surprise before he tested it out. What was even more surprising was the fact that it worked.

"Which will increase our speed," Hiccup realized. "Yeah! You hear that, bud? Stormfly's gonna be seeing a lot more of your tail." Toothless just crooned in happiness as I rubbed his shoulder. Snowfire had stopped and was watching us both curiously as Toothless' tongue lolled out to one side.

"So, can we test this out?" Heather suddenly asked, feigning innocence.

"How about right now?" Hiccup suggested with a grin.

"What about the…." I didn't get the chance to finish as Hiccup took off, with Heather clinging on with her arms wrapped around his back. "Oh wonderful, and knowing Astrid she'll blame me for this," I muttered with a roll of my eyes.

'_I told you she cannot be trusted_,' Snowfire huffed once they were gone. I folded my arms and glared at her before climbing into the saddle. Someone was gonna have to tell Astrid, and of course it would have to be me.

We flew around the island until spotting Stormfly. She was perched on a rock, twitching every now and than as she started getting impatient. Astrid gave us one look before scowling in annoyance. I simply ignored the look and landed beside her, just as Toothless zoomed by with Hiccup and Heather.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me!" Astrid groaned as Heather made it obvious she was enjoying their flight. Stormfly made a squawking noise in agreement before turning to greet me. Astrid looked at us in surprise as I rubbed Stormfly's snout.

"It's good to see you too," I laughed as Stormfly nearly pushed me over.

"What are you doing here?" Astrid demanded after shaking off the surprise.

"Sorry," I replied once Stormfly ran over to her side. "Hiccup just wanted to test out the new saddle…. But you're more than welcome to race me and Snowfire." Snowfire only hummed in response, as if the thought of racing Stormfly was amusing to her. Astrid just scoffed and hopped onto Stormfly before taking off. "Rude much," I muttered, despite feeling the urge to shout it.

'_She is jealous_,' Snowfire hummed.

"What? I didn't even notice." Sarcasm was dripping from my voice as Snowfire rolled her eyes. "Well, we should head back. I'm sure Hiccup's not going to hear the end of this one."

We arrived at the academy moments later to find everyone gathered.

"Oh, ho! She loves getting her ears cleaned! I know just the right spot," Fishlegs cooed as he cleaned out Meatlug's ears. Snotlout in the meantime was having trouble keeping Hookfang under control.

"Hookfang! Will you just calm down already?" he demanded. "Are we training or not?"

"Hey, where's Hiccup?" Fishlegs asked. I was about to answer when Astrid beat me to it.

"Giving private lessons," she grumbled. The annoyance in her voice was obvious. And to make things worse, they flew over us just as she said that. Fishlegs suddenly got excited.

"I didn't know he gives private lessons! Can anybody get in on it?" He looked at me eagerly, but his face fell when I shook my head.

"Apparently, just her," Astrid muttered.

"Uh-oh, looks like there's yet another rooster in the house!" Ruffnut said in a teasing tone.

"Uh-oh, yeah. Another rooster in the hen house. Wait, what?" Tuffnut looked at his sister in confusion.

"Nothing, she thinks I'm jealous, which is completely ridiculous," Astrid defended herself. I leaned against Snowfire as they started to argue.

'_Something tells me that it is more than that girl she is jealous of_,' Snowfire chimed in. I held back a smirk at those words.

"Oh, right, right. Wait, of who? Me? Wait, am I the rooster or the hen?" Tuffnut asked while looking around in confusion once again.

All I wanted to do was stay out of this, for now. While I in no way had any deep feelings for Hiccup, it did make me feel uneasy how much time he was spending with Heather. And now I suddenly understood what Astrid had been going through when I showed up.

I just hoped that things didn't go South for Heather. She really had no idea who she was messing with when it came to Astrid.

"Trust me, the last thing I am is jealous," Astrid reassured them just as Toothless, Hiccup and Heather arrived at the arena.

"Top o' the morning, class! How's everyone doing today?" Hiccup greeted everyone cheerfully. To which I just rolled my eyes once more as Snowfire glared at Heather.

"Oh, nice of you to show up," Astrid said sarcastically. I secretly prayed that Astrid didn't take this personally, or blame me for the fact that Hiccup had forgotten about their little 'date'.

"What? Oh, we were supposed to meet up! I'm so sorry," he apologized, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. The silence that followed was instantly shattered by Snotlout.

"Awkward!" he shouted randomly, followed by getting a puff of smoke in his face from Snowfire. Snotlout only scowled in response and folded his arms, glaring at her the rest of the time.

"Oh, Astrid's jealous of the pretty one, right? Why talk about hens and roosters?" Tuffnut had to ask that question as things got even more awkward. I nearly facepalmed as Astrid locked eyes with Heather.

"So, Heather? Sleep well?" Astrid asked as casually as possible. Because things around here weren't tense enough.

"Very well. Thank you," Heather replied with a grateful smile. She began wandering around the academy in awe. "So this is it? Your Dragon Training Academy?" she asked in amazement.

"No, _our_ Dragon Training Academy," Tuffnut said. "Remember,_ I_ called you the pretty one," he added with a wink.

"We've been training dragons to become a part of every day life," Hiccup explained to Heather.

"Yeah, and believe when I say it isn't easy," I added after glancing at Snowfire.

'_It would be easier if you hatchlings just listened for once_,' she replied in a voice full of annoyance.

"And it all goes here," Fishlegs added excitedly. He stepped forward and revealed the Book of Dragons, which Heather took sudden interest in.

"Really? _Interesting_." My eyes narrowed with suspicion when Heather eyed the book curiously. What sort of diabolical plan was she up to? And why take a sudden interest in the Book of Dragons? I could only imagine it was nothing good.

Unfortunately Fishlegs was too busy boasting about the book that he didn't seem to notice. "Yep. I'm the log keeper. No, the log _master_," he said proudly.

"He writes down what Hiccup and Alex tell him to," Snotlout cut in with a smirk.

"I give it my own spin, thank you," Fishlegs retorted.

Heather looked at the book with a gaze full of longing. And I wasn't the only one who seemed to notice. The glare Astrid gave her would have sent daggers through anyone else.

"Can I see it?" she asked. She reached over for the book when I suddenly snatched it from Fishlegs' hands.

"I'll take that," I snapped as Astrid dragged Hiccup away.

"Hiccup, I don't think we should be showing her all of our dragon secrets," Astrid tried reasoning with him once they were far enough away.

"Astrid it's fine," Hiccup said to her.

"I second Astrid's worrying," I suddenly cut in. Both of them looked at me in surprise before I handed Astrid the book. "Snowfire's been bugging me all day about it. There's something about her scent that she doesn't like."

"Well, I do trust her," Hiccup insisted. "And you should trust me. Besides, she doesn't even like the smell of chicken," he added with a smirk.

I just fell silent and glared back. Sometimes I wondered why I bother staying here. It's not like people took my advice anyways. Then again Snowfire would have a fit if I left now. Astrid's eyes lit up with hope when she realized that someone else believed her.

"There's just something about her that I don't like," I said with a shrug. "It could be the fact that she was suddenly interested in the Book of Dragons." Not to mention all of the guys seemed to be swooning over her. I wasn't jealous, just concerned that she might be using them.

To my disbelief, Hiccup chose to ignore both of our statements and returned to where Heather and the others were chatting. Astrid only glared after them while I folded my arms in annoyance.

"Well, looks like we've both found something in common," Astrid muttered under her breath.

"You mean other than riding dragons?" I suggested. "You know, it wouldn't hurt to keep an eye on her. Having extra eyes would make it easier to spot something unusual," I quickly added. Astrid just gave me a cold look before sighing in defeat.

"Alright, what did you have in mind?" All I could do was grin before explaining the plan. Maybe this could work if we actually learned to get along.

'_Do not let your jealousy get the better of you_,' Snowfire suddenly piped in once we were finished. She was eying us both, but I had a feeling her words were more directed towards Astrid. Either way, I wasn't going to let it get to me.

...

Heather was unaware of the fact that she was being spied on. Right now she was with Fishlegs, receiving 'expert' advice on the Gronckle, oblivious to the fact that two people were already suspicious of her actions.

"So, Mr. Fishlegs, 'Log Master of the Book of Dragons' – I can call you that, right?" Heather asked Fishlegs in the most polite tone she could offer.

"Absolutely," Fishlegs replied with a huge grin. I rolled my eyes when I realized what Heather was doing.

It was the oldest trick in the book of love. Try and use your looks and charm to get a boy's attention. To make matters worse it was actually working.

"Tell me, what would one find in the Book of Dragons about the… _magnificent_ Gronckle?" Heather asked in a honey-sweet voice.

What Fishlegs and Heather didn't realize was that I was listening in on their conversation. Despite the fact that they were inside a building I could hear them loud and clear, thanks to a hollowed out horn I placed next to my ear.

This was one of those moments where I wished that modern technology could play a big role. After all there was plenty of spy equipment one could use in situations like this. But for now I focused on their conversation, having let go of that luxury months ago.

"Well, the Gronckle is a member of the Boulder Class dragons," Fishlegs explained. "Fourteen feet long, eighteen foot wingspan, five thousand, seven hundred and twenty four pounds of pure love. Come on girl, don't be shy."

"She's so cute!" she cooed over the plump dragon. I only rolled my eyes once again. "But how does she perform in battle?" Heather asked.

"Well, feel her skin," Fishlegs suggested. "It's thick, impenetrable. Like armor." I had to laugh when I heard a rock bouncing off of Meatlug, hitting Fishlegs seconds later. "Owe! And quite springy as well!"

"What about her tail?" Heather suddenly asked, changing tactics. "It looks like it could be used as a weapon."

"Oh it is," Fishlegs replied in a voice full of pride. "Tough, bulbous, deadly. It can even be used as a bludgeon."

"Oooh, she sounds so fierce!"

"Oh, she's fierce alright – on the outside. But on the inside, she's as soft as a bed of rose petals. Aren't you my little baby?"

By now I was trying not to gag in disgust. Truth be told I probably would have acted the same way around a puppy or kitten. But this just made me sick; Heather was using his awkwardness to her advantage.

But on to a more trying thought…. Why was Heather so interested in a Gronckle's battle skills? There had to be some reason behind it all.

I pulled out the little notebook Astrid had given me and started writing all of this information down. Heather was already on her way out once I was finished. Without a moment's hesitation I quickly put the notebook away and followed the raven-haired girl down to the docks, where Barf and Belch were waiting with Tuffnut.

"So, Tuff, tell me how this works again?" Heather asked the twin in question. Tuffnut was all too eager to share some points on the Zippleback. Which only furthered my suspicions about Heather.

"Okay, you yank on his head, he barfs up this really nasty gas, and I make the other one spark. But don't breathe it in," he warned her.

"Why?" Heather looked at Tuffnut in confusion and surprise.

"You don't wanna know," the twin replied.

Breathing in the gas of a Zippleback would give you a severe case of nausea. Tuffnut had learned that the hard way when Ruffnut was messing around with him. It was something else we had added into the Book of Dragons.

"Just give me the signal," Tuffnut told her.

"What's the signal?" Heather asked.

"Ah man…. I always forget," Tuffnut sad, rubbing the back of his helmet.

"How 'bout: Fire?" Heather suggested.

"What the hell is she playing at?" I wondered out loud while grabbing my book. Taking these notes was a bit of an annoying task, but it was necessary to build up the evidence. And right now I was getting more and more suspicious.

"Wow, you're good at this," Tuffnut said in a smug voice. "Much better than my sister, who, I can easily get rid of, by the way… I mean, easily. She looks a lot like me. Sometimes I impersonate both of us." He continued rambling until Heather snapped him back to reality.

"Yeah. Why don't we focus on the task at hand," she suggested once again.

"Right. Okay. Ready?" Tuffnut leaned forward in excitement, and Heather copied his movements.

"Ready," Heather replied. She yanked on Barf's head, releasing a toxic and explosive gas.

"Signal! Ugh, darn – I mean, fire!" Tuffnut sputtered the words out before yanking Belch's head back. The sparks that followed created an explosion that ended up destroying a nearby boat.

"What do we do now?" Heather asked nervously. Villagers were starting to call out in alarm upon the attack.

"Usually we hide… until the Chief finds us. Then we get in trouble," he explained before making a run for it. I watched with annoyance as Heather fled the scene before the villagers arrived.

The sun was just beginning to set when I found her at Snotlout's. I rolled my eyes once again when I realized that she was just using him, just like with Fishlegs and Tuffnut. And as usual, Snotlout was too naive to know any better.

This time Heather was admiring Hookfang as Snotlout showed him off, oblivious to the fact that Heather had already visited two of the other male riders. Not to mention she had gotten a free riding lesson from Hiccup.

"I have to say, Snotlout," she began while walking circles around the Monstrous Nightmare. "Your dragon is the most impressive." Her voice had a honey-sweet tone to it that nearly made me gag again. I was beginning to see why Astrid hated her so much.

"Yeah, I know," Snotlout said in a voice full of pride. "So, let's talk about you and me. You never did thank me for saving your life."

"You're right. Thank you, Snotlout." I fought back the vile threatening to overwhelm me when she said that. "So, how much does he weigh, exactly?" she asked.

"What, him?" Snotlout looked a little put off that she was more focused on Hookfang than himself. But he perked up almost immediately when he answered, "five thousand pounds, give or take. He's monstrous, remember? Like his rider, so… heh. Tour of the island, you and me. What do you say?"

"Actually, Hiccup already took me on Toothless," Heather replied innocently. "It was beautiful." She paused before looking back down at Hookfang. "So, Snotlout, how does this whole fire thing work with Hookfang?" While she was busy asking questions, I took the opportunity to write down notes as Snotlout boasted about his dragon.

"It's his spit," he explained. "It coats his whole body. That's what lights him on fire, okay? Between you and me, I use it on date night. The ladies seem to like the smell." This time I actually did make a gagging sound as Snotlout began covering himself in the spit. I had to duck again behind the house when Heather looked in my direction.

"Can he flame up on command?" she asked, thankfully not having noticed me.

"Oh, he can," Snotlout replied. "But he won't. Pig-headed dragon," he scoffed. Just as he said that, Hookfang wandered off and started ruining a nearby cart. "Could you, just give me a minute? Just one minute!" Snotlout than frantically ran after his dragon to try and calm him down.

"Take all the time you need," Heather called back, sounding more relieved than ever.

Okay, now I was really starting to hate this Heather character. First she kissed up to all the guys, and now she was asking for information on all of the dragons. Lucky for me she hadn't spotted me once as I reached Hiccup's house.

'_What are you doing_?' Snowfire's voice made me nearly leap out of my skin. I whirled around in time to see her standing behind me, eying me curiously.

"Taking my part of the deal," I replied in a firm voice. "Heather's up to something, and I need to figure out what it is."

'_Then perhaps I will help_,' Snowfire hummed in amusement as we reached the house.

"I'm gonna need a boost," I told her when I remembered where the book would most likely be. I tried not to blush at the thought of sneaking into anyone's house for that matter.

Snowfire carefully held steady as I gently climbed onto her snout. Once she had reached the window I grabbed the ledge and spotted Heather looking under Hiccup's bed.

"Gotcha! The Book of Dragons," Heather said excitedly. And just like that, everything both Astrid and I had thought of her were true. My fists clenched together as she started reading the book. "Monstrous Nightmare…. Gronckle…. Here we go. The Deadly Nadder. Piercing spikes, loyal, powerful…." Heather managed to read off a few lines before someone interrupted her.

"Intelligent, and of course, _deadly_." I held back a sigh of relief at the venomous tone in Astrid's voice. Heather quickly spun around in surprise. "What do you think you're doing?" Astrid demanded. Heather, who was clearly panicking as she was caught in the act, began to back away fearfully. "Well, are you gonna say something?" Astrid asked again, just as Hiccup arrived.

"I am so sorry, Hiccup!" Heather gasped. "I was cleaning up your room when I-I found the book. I couldn't help myself." The guilt in her voice made my fingers leave tiny dents in the wood. It was obvious that she was lying, and of course, Hiccup was oblivious.

"It's okay, Heather," he replied, looking a bit taken aback.

"It's _okay_?" Astrid looked flabbergasted by Hiccup's trust in Heather. "What do you mean by '_it's okay_'? She's reading the Book of Dragons!"

"Astrid come on, lighten up." Okay, there was one thing that guys never told a girl to do. And lighten up, or calm down, was one of those things. Astrid's face turned from a look of annoyance to outrage.

"Me? She's the one sneaking around at night, looking at our stuff!" Astrid exclaimed.

"Really? Sneaking around? Wha-what are you talking about?" Hiccup looked at Astrid in surprise.

"I'm talking about last night, near my house," Astrid told him. So I wasn't the only one to notice that. I wish Astrid would have told me that sooner; maybe we could've worked something out in the end.

"That was me. I couldn't sleep so…. I went for a walk. I was having terrible nightmare," Heather sighed.

By now I had nearly lost it. Another load of bull crap. If I wasn't so busy listening I would've smacked Heather right across the face for lying so easily.

"I can imagine," Hiccup nodded in understanding.

"Is this really happening?" Astrid asked in exasperation.

"Okay, Astrid, that's enough," Hiccup snapped.

"You're right, Hiccup," Astrid told him flatly. "It _is_."

Now I suddenly understood why Astrid had hated me so much when I first showed up. It's not like I meant to get between her and Hiccup. He was just a friend, but now it seemed like nothing would ever happen between them.

"I'm sorry, about that," Hiccup apologized once she stormed off.

"No. _I'm_ sorry. I shouldn't have read the book," Heather lied smoothly.

"It's no big deal," Hiccup replied with a shrug. "I trust you."

"How can you trust that little b—" A voice had stopped me from finishing my rant.

"Alex?" I nearly lost my grip on the wood when Astrid called my name. Luckily Snowfire caught me before I could fall flat on my ass. "What were you doing up there?" she demanded, folding her arms and glaring.

"Well, I managed to gather enough information on Heather," I explained after shaking off the dust. Astrid raised an eyebrow in surprise as I pulled out the notebook. "And let me tell you, Heather isn't the sweet innocent girl everyone thinks she is."

"You're not worried about her trying to find something out about Snowfire?" Astrid glanced at Snowfire curiously as she let out a growl of annoyance.

'_I would bite her hand off if she dare approach me_,' she snapped.

"Point taken," I said with a smirk. "Look, knowing what she has looked into already, my guess is she'll try looking at Stormfly next," I added. "I'm going to keep an eye on her to make sure that doesn't happen." Astrid eyed me curiously after showing obvious signs of worry for her dragon.

"Why are you suddenly so concerned about my dragon?" she asked warily. Snowfire made a crooning sound and rubbed my hand with her snout, concerned that we were about to argue again.

"I care about all of the dragons," I replied. She looked at me in surprise as I continued, "guess it has something to do with being saved by one." Astrid just smirked as Snowfire crooned in agreement.

For the rest of the night we had returned to Stormfly's stable to make sure that Heather wouldn't approach it. Snowfire stayed behind us, and I was hopeful she would be enough to scare Heather away. And sure enough, Heather had arrived shortly after.

"Approach the Deadly Nadder slowly…." Heather whispered as Stormfly stood up and eyed her suspiciously. "Stay in the blind spot…." Heather than hid herself under Stormfly's nose that she wouldn't see her. Seconds later and she held up a chicken to Stormfly's mouth. "I hear you like that." Heather smiled as Stormfly chewed. Once Stormfly was calm enough, Heather reached out to touch her.

But that was when Astrid and I had chosen to jump out of our hiding place.

"What are you doing with my dragon?" Astrid demanded.

'_Now can I bite off her hand_?' Snowfire let out a growl that made Heather's eyes widen in horror.

"No, even if she does deserve it," I told her. "Why are you so interested in the dragons?" I demanded, folding my arms and glaring at her.

"I'm just curious, that's all!" Heather defended herself.

"Really? Well in that case, Snowfire can give you an up and close experience." I nodded to Snowfire, whose eyes narrowed with fury as she glowered at Heather.

"Don't give us your innocent routine," Astrid put in. "Why _do_ you want to know so much about our dragons, Heather?"

Heather just stared at the three of us in shock. Not only had she been caught red-handed, but we now had proof of what she was up to.

"Like I said, Astrid and Alex, I'm just curious," she replied bluntly. "I wonder what would happen if I told _him_ that you didn't trust me." Stormfly than nudged Heather playfully, asking for more chicken. "I think your dragon likes me. See you later Stormfly," Heather added with a smirk.

Once Heather was gone I shouted a volley of curses that left Astrid staring at me in shock. A few minutes of this went by before I finally calmed down. Astrid was making sure that Stormfly was okay until things had settled down.

"What was _that_ about?" Astrid asked once I finished my ranting. Snowfire only hummed in amusement as I folded my arms once again.

"It's something people do in my world," I muttered. "Only when I'm pissed off to the point of throwing a storm. And right now I feel like throwing her off a cliff."

"For once, I actually agree with you," the blond-haired girl suddenly told me.

The two of us stared at each other in shock before Astrid looked away in embarrassment. All I knew was that we needed to find Heather and make sure she didn't do anything stupid. I had a feeling that something had to do with the Book of Dragons.

...

We finally tracked down Heather near the beach. She was moving in a way that reminded me of someone on a mission. My guess was she was about to meet with someone. And unfortunately my guess was right when we spotted something in the distance.

"That's an _Outcast_ boat!" Astrid exclaimed in shock.

"What would the Outcasts want with Heather?" I asked almost to myself. That would explain why Snowfire didn't like her scent right away. She had known all along that Heather couldn't be trusted.

I recognized the muscular man from when Alvin had tried attacking Berk. I never did get his name.

"_Savage_," Astrid mumbled. I quickly shushed her so that we could listen to what they had to say.

"What have you learned about the dragons?" Savage asked.

"I've learned a lot, Savage," Heather explained warily. "But there's something else. Something that's going to make Alvin very happy." I couldn't help but feel horrified that Heather was actually working for the Outcasts. Somehow it didn't surprise me, but it still made me feel sick.

"I'm listening," Savage muttered.

"They have a book. A Book of Dragons. It's got everything in it. It's got everything Alvin could hope to learn about controlling dragons," Heather told him.

"Well, where is this book?" Savage demanded.

"I don't have it," Heather replied. "But I will! I promise. I just, I just need a little more time, please." Savage was suspicious almost instantly.

"Alvin isn't known for his patience," he warned her. "He won't be happy to wait."

"Please! You have to trust me! When I get back to Outcast island, I'll have the book with me; the wait will be worth it," she desperately tried reassuring him. For a while Savage didn't say anything, but eventually he grudgingly agreed with her. "I better go." Heather began to leave.

"Just out of your concern, I hope that dragon girl doesn't know about all of this!" Savage warned her. Astrid and I exchanged looks at the nickname. I knew almost immediately that he was referring to me.

"Don't worry, she doesn't know," Heather replied before finally leaving.

The two of us waited until Heather and the Outcasts were gone. Once it was over, we made a run for Hiccup's house.

"Wake up!" Astrid and I screamed at the same time. Snowfire let out an eerie screech, and a thud followed shortly after. I tried not to laugh as I imagine the heart attack we almost gave both Hiccup and Toothless.

"Ow! What – Why would you two _do_ that?" Hiccup sputtered in confusion.

"Saving our butts," Astrid replied.

"We just saw Heather talking to Savage! She's working for the Outcasts!" I added.

"Okay, I can understand why Astrid's suspicious, but…. Wait, are you two working together?" Hiccup looked at us in surprise as Astrid folded her arms.

"Yes, because we've found a common enemy," Astrid replied with a shrug.

"And what we saw with our own eyes is true," I put in. "Even Snowfire saw it with her own eyes, and she never lies." I patted her on the shoulder as she hummed in agreement.

"Don't you think it's possible you and Astrid saw something else? I mean, it was pretty dark out there," Hiccup tried reasoning with us. I just rolled my eyes for the umpteenth time while Snowfire let out an irritated growl.

'_My sight works perfectly fine in the dark_,' she snapped.

"That girl isn't who you think she is!" Astrid added.

"Hiccup, please just hear me out," I pleaded. "You _need_ to keep the Book of Dragons away from her. Hide it where she can't find it. If she gets her hands on it and delivers it to the Outcast, Berk will be under siege in a matter of days!"

"Why would Alvin be so interested in the book?" Hiccup looked at us both curiously as Astrid sighed in frustration.

"Because he knows I'd refuse to work with him," I replied bluntly. "To be brutally honest, I would likely let Snowfire rip out his throat." Again she hummed in agreement at those words, clearly enjoying the thought.

"That book is the only way Alvin will learn how to control the dragons," Astrid pointed out. Hiccup studied us both for a few seconds before letting out a sigh of frustration.

"Alright, I believe you."

"It's about time," I muttered crossly.

"So, what do we do now?" Astrid glanced at us both in obvious concern.

"Astrid, you need to keep an eye on the dragons and make sure nothing happens to them," Hiccup instructed her. "Alex, I'm trusting you with the Book of Dragons." I looked at Hiccup in surprise before he pulled it out of a hiding spot. "Make sure Heather doesn't get anywhere near it."

"Got it."

"Understood chief," Astrid replied with a smirk.

...

Guard the book, don't let Heather anywhere near it. My mind was whirling with confusion as I leaned against the back of Hiccup's house. As an insurance policy we had decided that it be best I stay close by. If Heather did go looking for it she would likely end up at Hiccup's place.

Snowfire was by my side, keeping a close eye on any signs of danger. I was holding on to the book as if my life depended on it. Meanwhile Astrid was busy keeping an eye on the dragons to make sure Heather didn't try anything on them.

'_Someone is coming_!' Snowfire let out a warning growl, but it was abruptly cut off. My heart nearly skipped a beat when she was knocked out in an instant. Heather was standing over her, a face of both relief and horror as she dropped the Dragon Nip she'd been holding.

"I guess Alvin was right when he said you had a strong bond." She smirked once the initial threat had passed. I clutched on to the book for dear life as Heather eyed it curiously. "I wonder, if there's anything in the book about the White Terror?"

As she reached out for the book I quickly smacked away her hand. Heather recoiled almost instantly as I glared at her. The one good thing about middle school was learning how to defend myself. One didn't simply pass a hallway without getting their brains knocked out.

"I'm not letting you take this, bastard," I snapped. "You'd have to pry it out of my dead fingers before I hand it over." Heather simply smirked before delivering an uppercut to my shoulder. I held back a cry of pain before striking her hip with my knee.

"If that's what it takes," she cooed before suddenly slamming her fist into my stomach. The impact was enough to leave me winded, but not to the point of giving up. I still held on to the book as she started delivering blow after blow. I managed to dodge each of them until she finally saw an opening. With one final slam of the fist she managed to throw me into the wall. The impact was enough to leave me dazed as I slumped over. "It's not just the book he wants, I'm afraid."

The last thing I saw was her face glaring down at me before I lost consciousness.

...

Snowfire woke with a start. She knew almost immediately that something was wrong. Sniffing around she realized that her rider was gone. Fury swept through her the moment she picked up Heather's awful stench. It reminded her far too much of those deranged humans from earlier.

"She's gone!" Snowfire looked up in alarm at the sound of the blond-haired hatchling's voice. She hadn't liked that girl very much. But now she was starting to understand why the girl was so violent and angry all of the time.

"Heather?" the male hatchling had a voice full of confusion. Snowfire had learned over time that his name was Hiccup, and that her rider was overly fond of him. Sensing his worry, she trotted over to where he and the blond were speaking.

"No! Stormfly! 'Little Miss Innocent' stole my dragon!" the blond continued shouting in an angry tone. Snowfire blinked in confusion. The female dragon that was always with that hatchling couldn't have betrayed her. Not that easily.

'_Where is my rider_?' she demanded, letting her voice be heard by both young hatchlings. Hiccup and the blond stared at her in disbelief, until Hiccup's eyes widened in horror and realization.

"What?" the blond demanded.

"Alex, she was guarding the Book of Dragons," Hiccup explained. "And if Heather's gone—"

"You think she took Alex as well?" the blond looked at Hiccup in confusion. "What would Heather want with her?"

"There's not enough time to explain!" Hiccup quickly ran over to Toothless, who was still watching both humans and Snowfire curiously. "Get the others ready, we need to leave now."

'_And find my rider_,' Snowfire cut in.

It didn't take long for all of the riders to get assembled at the academy. The boys were, needless to say, shocked that Heather had done such a thing. None of them seemed aware that the raven-haired girl had just been using them.

"Oh, this is bad," the large, hefty boy started pacing around and fretting. He kept repeating those words until finally saying something else. "This is catastrophic! If Alvin gets both the book and—" Luckily Hiccup had finally stopped him, much to Snowfire's relief.

"He won't," he reassured the large hatchling and hopped onto Toothless' back, followed by the blond. Snowfire snorted in satisfaction at that. She would not allow anyone else to ride her, unless it was Hiccup. For some reason that hatchling was much kinder than the others, and had the soul of a dragon.

As all of them took off, Snowfire put on an extra burst of speed to prove her point. When she found this Heather girl, she would rip out her throat for what she had done.

"I'm going for her, Hiccup," the blond suddenly told Toothless' rider. "She's going to pay for this."

Oh, the blond had no idea. Snowfire was going to ensure that Heather suffered for everything she had done. Fortunately Heather wasn't all that skilled when it came to riding dragons. And sure enough they had caught up with her due to her slow progress.

"We're never going to catch up with them!" the blond shouted. "Stormfly is too fast!"

"When you're riding her, definitely," Hiccup replied. "Not a stranger."

'_Not to mention she has my rider as well_!' Snowfire had spotted them from a distance long before the other hatchlings.

"What's that? Up ahead!" The loud and obnoxious hatchling pointed towards something in the distance.

"It's Heather! And is she ever gonna feel sorry she helped me with Toothless' speed." Hiccup wasted no time in catching up with Snowfire. She had already fired a warning blast at Heather, causing Stormfly to falter in mid-flight. "Try not to shoot down both riders!" Hiccup called as Snowfire fired another blast. "I'll get you in close," he added when they had finally reached them.

That's when Heather decided to give Stormfly a little snack. Snowfire's nose wrinkled in disgust at the stench. She hated chicken. Fish was much more preferred.

"I-Is that chicken?" Hiccup asked in disbelief. "Is that what you've been—"

"Really? You wanna talk about that _now_?" the blond snapped.

Deciding to ignore the issue, Hiccup than said, "I'm gonna pull right above her." Snowfire kept a safe distance as Toothless flew above Stormfly.

"O-okay! Keep him steady." the blond mumbled before getting into position. She than did something that caught Snowfire completely off guard. Without hesitation she jumped off of Toothless' back, landing precariously on Stormfly's saddle. "Going somewhere?"

Seeing her rider tied up only angered Snowfire even more. Snowfire pulled in alongside Stormfly, giving the Heather girl an icy glare. Heather was more intimidated by the blond than by the dragon ready to bite her head off. Heather had managed to knock the blond off after pointlessly fighting each other.

"Stormfly! Tail flip!" the blond called while dangling from Stormfly's tail. Stormfly was quick to get her rider back on the saddle.

"This is gonna be awesome!" the look-alike male hatchling suddenly shouted. In fact no one had noticed the incoming danger until the hefty hatchling spoke up.

"Uh, Hiccup? I really hate to be the voice of doom, but we just crossed into Outcast waters," he warned everyone. Snowfire didn't really know what that meant. But she did know that the term 'Outcast' was dangerous to these people.

"Hey, Astrid, you might want to move this along!" Hiccup called.

"Give me a minute, she's stronger than she looks!" the girl called Astrid replied. Snowfire let out an irritated growl and tried to reach her rider, who shockingly enough was still unconscious. But Stormfly's movements were too jerky for her to reach her rider safely.

"Uh, Astrid?" Hiccup's voice was now nervous, and Snowfire suddenly understood why. A group of humans known as the Outcasts were firing at them. Finally Astrid had managed to gain the upper hand in their fight.

"Don't you _ever_ touch my dragon again!" she shouted after knocking Heather out of the saddle. But Heather had been holding on to the book the humans were so fond of. And in the process the ropes holding on to Snowfire's rider had begun to unravel.

"Ah! No!" Heather began to fall, and the obnoxious hatchling suddenly charged after her on his Monstrous Nightmare.

Snowfire flew after her rider. Toothless was diving after the book as it fell towards the waiting Outcasts. But just as they were about to reach both one of the Outcasts had fired their catapults. Snowfire held back a screech of fury as a fireball brushed against her wing.

By the time she had recovered it was too late. Both the book and her rider were gone. Snowfire looked around frantically, but she couldn't find either in the chaos that followed. Rage burned deep within her, but she knew that fighting the Outcasts was suicide.

"Please tell me you got them both?" the hefty hatchling asked anxiously. But than he noticed the glare Snowfire was giving him and clamped his mouth shut.

"I was too late," Hiccup breathed out in a grim voice. "Alvin has them both."

Heather had betrayed them all. And she would pay for her heinous deed. One way or another, they would get the book and Alex back. Otherwise an all out war could brawl out between both islands.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well, this is definitely my longest chapter yet, over 9k long. And I know a few things were added that don't go with the episode, but I couldn't resist :P<strong>

**Cutie Kyuubi - Mildew definitely got what he deserved :P I have to admit, watching him get bitten by the Scauldron was pretty hilarious XD**

**silverwolvesarecool - I know right? And thanks!**

**69759 - Thanks! And Google is my best friend :P**

**Guest - XD Thanks for the info! And eventually I do plan on adding an explanation as to why that is. Hiccup is probably the only person who would be interested, but he hasn't had the chance to ask :)**


	27. Heather Report Part II

**Chapter Twenty Seven**

It took a while for me to wake up. When I did I instantly regretted it.

My head was throbbing in pain. My mouth was dry, either from lack of water or something else, I wasn't sure. But one thing I was sure of was the fact that I couldn't figure out what had happened. The last thing I remember was fighting Heather, and than blacking out.

That was when I noticed something was off. I tried moving my hands, but they were chained to a wall.

"Well, well, well." A familiar voice made me look up in alarm. The anger from earlier had suddenly returned when Alvin waltzed in, a triumphant smirk written across his face. "And here I was afraid our little guest wouldn't wake up again," he sneered.

"Get back!" My voice was raw from lack of use. Alvin only smirked once more before grabbing hold of my chin.

"I'd watch your tongue," he snapped. "You're in no position to talk to me like that." All I could do was glare as he stepped back. "No thanks to that order I nearly lost half of my men. But now that I have you, we can control the dragons."

"Yeah, not going to happen," I muttered.

Alvin only scowled and slapped a hand across my cheek. My face burned with outrage as pain surged through me. Whatever Heather had done to me was making the pain worse than I expected.

"You don't have a choice," he retorted.

Before I could make sense of what he meant by that, the door swung open. Two men were holding down a Deadly Nadder. My heart was racing with panic as I watched it fight back against the ropes. They even had it's tail pinned down in case it tried to attack.

"Let go of the ropes!" Alvin suddenly ordered. Both men looked at him in surprise before doing as they were told. In an instant the Nadder charged after them. Alvin started drawing it's attention, causing enough of a ruckus that the Nadder turned and looked around in confusion. "Let's see if you're as good as that man claimed," Alvin sneered as he led the Nadder to me.

I braced myself for the pain that might follow. The Deadly Nadder was quick in attacking, using both fire and it's spikes for defense. But instead of attacking, the Nadder just stood there and stared at me. I watched the Nadder for a few seconds before it reached forward, bowing it's head.

"I'm sorry," was all I could whisper. My voice felt hollow as Alvin grinned once again in triumph.

"Looks to me like he was right." By now the men had already tied up the Nadder. To my surprise it didn't bother fighting back this time. "Take it to the cages; we'll have more to test out after this." I felt a shudder run down my back at the thought.

The last thing I wanted was to be used, again. But the chains made it impossible for escape. All I could do for now was glare at Alvin as he left me there. One way or the other, I would get my revenge on that bastard.

...

Heather was on the run, again. She ran through the forest, trying to escape from Berk. After having returned to the small island, the dragon riders had thrown her into jail. But no prison could keep her locked. She quickly made her way to the beach, and was only a few meters away from a waiting boat when someone tripped her. She looked up just in time to see Astrid and Stormfly hovering above her.

"You can break out of jail as many times as you want," Astrid told her. "But you're not getting off of this island!" Once Stormfly had her talons locked around Heather, they threw her back into the prison and locked the cell door. "Give it up Heather," she added. "We have dragons."

"Astrid, I have to get back to Outcast island!" Heather begged.

"Yeah, I bet you do," Astrid said dryly and was about to leave.

"You don't understand!" Heather pleaded in a desperate tone. "Alvin has my parents!" Astrid only shook her head in frustration and glared at the raven-haired girl. She'd heard this song and dance many times now, and was getting tired of it.

"Yeah, and what to the pirates?" she snorted in a mocking tone.

"There were never any pirates," Heather replied. This time there was guilt in her voice, and an apology that had caught Astrid's attention. "I made it up. But I had to! I needed you to trust me!"

"Well guess what?" Anger suddenly took over. "We don't, not anymore. Because of you the Book of Dragons and one of our own are gone. I hope you live with that guilt for the rest of your time here."

Heather just stared at her with regretful eyes as she turned and left. This wouldn't be her last prison escape attempt, that was for sure.

Later that day all of the Viking teens were gathered in the arena, preparing for the upcoming battle. Snowfire stayed in the back of the arena, resting her head between her paws with her eyes half closed. She hadn't eaten since she lost her rider, and Hiccup was getting worried.

He wouldn't admit that it wasn't just Snowfire he worried about. After learning what she had been put through when she was younger, he was more concerned about what Alvin would do to Alex. Especially since it seemed like Alvin knew what Alex was capable of.

"That was a little close, Snotlout!" Fishlegs' accusing tone brought him back to their training.

Snotlout had fired a small boulder from a catapult at Fishlegs and Meatlug as they hovered above. Meatlug had turned around and swallowed the rock just before it could hit them.

"Quit whining Fishlegs!" Snotlout snapped. Meatlug then spat a ball of lava at Snotlout's catapult. He dove out of the way just as the lava ball missed him by inches. "Cut that out!" Snotlout yelled once the danger passed.

"Nice job guys!" Hiccup called as he rode on Toothless. "But remember, the Outcasts aren't going to be coming one at a time." Toothless made a crooning sound as if to agree with him.

"You don't need to remind me," Fishlegs said. "I'm under enough stress."

"Remember, we're only going to have one shot at getting both the book and Alex back," Hiccup reminded them.

"Uh, did I not make myself clear about the stress?" Fishlegs asked before zooming off.

Barf and Belch flew by just than, creating a mist of gas before sparking it. The wave of fire swept right towards Snotlout and Hookfang, but Snotlout managed to leap before it hit. Unfortunately for Snotlout, Hookfang chose that moment to ignite himself in self defense.

"To early, Snotlout!" Astrid called after him. "We have to time this perfectly." She flew down to join them after keeping an eye on the prison.

"It wasn't me, it was them!" Snotlout retorted, pointing to the twins.

"Uh, sorry," Ruffnut apologized.

"Yeah, still working on the kinks," Tuffnut added.

In the meantime, Hookfang was busy rampaging around, still engulfed in his own flame. His roar was enough to wake everyone on the island, much to their annoyance.

"Can you calm him down, Snotlout?" Astrid asked.

"Fine, whatever!" Snotlout muttered and charged after an enraged Hookfang. He then wrestled with his dragon and slammed his horn into the ground, putting him out an instant. "Figured that one out yesterday," he bragged as Hookfang's tongue lolled out to one side.

"Wait, he likes having his horns bent to the ground?" Fishlegs asked as he and Meatlug landed.

"Tuffnut does," Ruffnut said with a smirk.

"I do?" Ruffnut wasted no time in jumping at him and slamming his helmet to the ground. "Oh yeah, that does feel kinda nice. The dirt is soft."

"Can we get on with it?" Astrid yelled. "There could be a whole army coming at us!"

"Well, we're waiting," Snotlout said, getting onto Hookfang.

Stormfly then rose into the air and hovered there. Than Hookfang created a wall of fire that was aimed towards them.

"Spines, Stormfly!" Astrid commanded. Stormfly fired several spikes that entered the wall of fire. They came out moments later, revealing that they were now on fire before hitting the nearby wall. One of them managed to spear Tuffnut's helmet, still caught on fire.

"Kind of like that too," Tuffnut said. "Need to make a note."

"Yeah, that could work really great," Hiccup added.

"You know, all of this training is nice once we have the book and Alex," Fishlegs began. "But Alvin obviously isn't just going to hand them over."

"No," Astrid agreed with him. "But maybe, he'd hand them to Heather."

"Uh, I think Astrid's been eating dragon nip again," Fishlegs muttered. Astrid promptly elbowed him in the stomach. "Why is it always violence with you?" he demanded after reeling over in pain.

"It isn't violence," Astrid replied with a smirk. "It's communication."

"So you're suggesting we let Heather go?" Hiccup asked in disbelief.

"Sort of," Astrid said slyly.

"Yep, definitely dragon nip," Fishlegs coughed. Astrid than punched him in the stomach.

...

"T-This is going to work, right?" Fishlegs asked, stuttering. They were placing supplies in a boat, minus one Astrid. "B-Because if it doesn't w-work, A-Alvin's gonna know all our d-dragon secrets! A-And if Alvin knows all our dragon s-secrets—"

"Fishlegs!" Hiccup yelled and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It'll work." Someone than returned with a wide smirk on their face. That someone looked amazingly like Heather. "Ah, that must be—"

"Heather!" Tuffnut cried.

"Get her!" Ruffnut said as the two ran after her.

"That rhymes!" Tuffnut put in and followed. They managed to knock the figure down before she could get any closer. "You must stay in your cell! How many times do we have to tell?" Tuffnut than tried punching the figure in the face, when they used their free arm to rip Tuffnut right off of her.

"It's me you mutton-heads!" Astrid shouted. In fact, she looked almost exactly like Heather. The only difference was her eyes. While Heather had light green eyes, Astrid's were dark blue and seething with anger.

"Oh, sorry Astrid," Tuffnut apologized after getting off of her. "That disguise is really convincing."

"Oh yeah, I could tell," Astrid muttered crossly and walked towards the boat.

"I have to say, you did a really good job with that disguise," Hiccup said.

"It's amazing what you can do with cloth, threat and ash," she replied with a smirk.

"Are you sure about it?" Hiccup asked warily. Astrid stopped and looked at Hiccup worriedly.

"No," she replied. "But it's our only chance."

"We'll be shadowing you from the sky," Hiccup reassured her. "Hopefully we can find Alex too." He didn't seem to notice the hurt in Astrid's eyes.

"I don't need shadowing," Astrid insisted.

"Just in case. It'll make me feel better," Hiccup assured her.

"Fine! Just stay out of sight. If Alvin sees you, it'll all be over," she warned him.

"Don't worry about us," Hiccup told her. "Just make sure you find both the book and Alex and get out of there. We'll be waiting for you." There was an awkward silence as Hiccup looked at Astrid uncomfortably. "Oh, and Astrid? I should have listened to you and Alex about Heather. I hope you can forgive me."

Astrid was tempted to pull him in for a kiss right than and there. But she stopped herself and was reminded once again of how much he cared for Alex. "Consider yourself forgiven," she replied with a firm nod.

Fishlegs and Snotlout than pushed the boat into the water. "Hey, Astrid?" Hiccup quickly put in. "Be safe." Astrid nodded before the boat was swept away by the current.

...

I wasn't sure how much time had passed since I woke up. Alvin was relentless when it came to figuring out what dragons I could bond with. Apparently he had more dragons in captivity than we had originally hoped.

"How is it even possible?" Alvin demanded after putting away the latest dragon, a Monstrous Nightmare. Unfortunately for him the dragons had reverted back to their wild selves when they were put in their cages. "How are you able to bond with the dragons?"

"I don't know," was all I could say. Some of the dragons hadn't responded so friendly compared to the others. In fact there was one that had nearly bitten my head off until one of Alvin's men pried it away just in time.

"What I do know is that you're my ticket to getting revenge on Berk," Alvin sneered. "With you're help we can control all of the dragons."

"I'd rather die." The venom in my voice would've sent anyone else running. Unfortunately Alvin wasn't just anyone. He just laughed and left the room, leaving me alone once again.

My eyes narrowed with hate once he was gone. Despite the obvious threat Alvin had tossed at me, I was determined to get away. I'd been working at the chains on the wall while Alvin was gone. The one good thing about this world: There were no spy cameras. It made an escape attempt much easier.

A few more hours of working at the wall's weak points, and I managed to create small cracks in the soil. This whole room was made out of an underground dungeon, or something along those lines. I'd overheard one of Alvin's men saying that this was actually a live dragon's nest.

Shaking my head at the thought, I made quick work of the chains holding me down. I may not be as strong as the Vikings, but when it came to defending the people I'd come to care about, I would use all the strength I could find.

...

Astrid was looking down at her map, making sure that she was headed in the right direction. She guided the boats around the rocks that suddenly loomed into view. They were jutting out of the water that looked like small spires.

Just then a green Monstrous Nightmare flew right over the boat, startling her. Astrid watched in awe as it soared up to the cliffs right above her. Despite the years of dragon raids and battling, she was always amazed at the sight of a wild dragon.

Once the boat had landed she jumped off to see Savage and a few other Outcasts already waiting for her. She didn't miss the fact that they had brought their weapons.

"We thought you'd been captured," Savage said with a sly smile. Astrid held back a sigh of relief; these men weren't smart enough to notice the differences between herself and Heather. And that was a good thing.

"I was," she replied after silently thanking herself for having good makeup. "But I managed to escape."

"Well, it's good to see you safe and sound," Savage replied as he bent down. Then he chuckled and turned to his men. "Get rid of her," he ordered.

"What?" Astrid nearly yelped.

"We don't need you anymore," Save explained, turning his back to her.

"Savage, wait!" Astrid cried, desperately hoping he would listen. "You do need me! You have the book, right? I've watched and learned from them! That book is only worth something if you know how to use it."

"We don't need you since we have the girl as well," he snapped while raising a hand. Astrid had to think quickly. She knew that if they had Alex than chances were they'd have the book close by.

"Wait, let me talk to her!" she suddenly called as he walked away. Savage turned to look at her with a suspicious glare. "I've… talked to her before, even became friends with her." The word 'friends' made Astrid want to gag. "Just give me a chance."

Savage just stared at her suspiciously, not quite sure what to do.

...

Each one of the riders approaching Outcast island were carrying baskets full of fish. The plan was to entice the dragons into a feeding frenzy that would give the Outcasts a distraction for them to escape. They had to leave Snowfire behind in the risk that she might give away their position too early. Or worse, destroy the entire island in her quest to find her rider.

"I want to go for the record by saying I'm not sure about this plan, Hiccup," Fishlegs called in a nervous tone.

"If you have another one I'm open," Hiccup called back.

"I just think that landing in a wild dragon nesting ground is really gonna freak Meatlug out," Fishlegs protested. Meatlug just let out an excited growl as they flew on ahead.

"Really? Well how does she feel about flaming arrows and catapults?" Hiccup asked sarcastically.

"Yeah, she doesn't really like that either," Fishlegs replied.

"You don't say," Hiccup muttered with a roll of his eyes.

"Tell you what, Fishlegs! When we get there you can just lay back and let the real dragons work," Snotlout suggested.

"Yeah, you really have no idea what a swarm of wild dragons are capable of," Fishlegs retorted.

"Hey, you know what would be awesome?" Tuffnut asked as he and his sister flew in behind Fishlegs.

"Flaming arrows, catapults," Ruffnut began with a sly look.

"And dragons," Tuffnut finished for her.

"That makes three of you," Fishlegs muttered.

...

Savage had led Astrid through the network of caves and into Alvin's throne room. She tried to keep a straight face as she caught Alvin reading the book.

"Seems pretty straight forward to me," Alvin said after closing the book.

"It's anything but straightforward, Alvin," Astrid reassured him.

"If there's one thing I've learned, it's that people will say anything to keep themselves alive," Alvin sneered. "Isn't that right, Savage?"

"Right as usual, Alvin," Savage chuckled in response. "But she did say that she could talk to that dragon girl," he quickly added. Alvin just laughed, and soon the other Outcast men in the cave were laughing nervously with him.

"You mean that little wretch who refuses to talk?" Alvin's voice suddenly got cold. "She's a real piece of work that one. Tested all of me dragons on her, and only one tried to eat 'er." Astrid hadn't even realized that her fists were clenched with fury.

She hated to admit that Alex was brave for not spilling the beans. But it was the fact that Alvin had tested dragons on her that sent fury through Astrid. If the dragons learned to trust humans than they could become part of Alvin's army.

"Look, just let me talk to her and I can sort things out for you," she tried reasoning with the deranged man. Alvin considered her suggestion before pointing a hand at Savage. His Second in Command was quick to obey and walked off while he flipped through the pages once again.

"So what kind of dragon is this?" he asked while scanning through the pages. Astrid tried not to smirk at his stupidity. It's a good thing that he had never read the book when he was banished from Berk.

"It's a Deadly Nadder," she replied without hesitation. The dragon had already flung two of Alvin's men across the room as they struggled to hold it down. "Do you need a page number?" she asked in a smug tone.

"Nope, nope," Alvin muttered. "I've got it right here." He looked down at the book before reading it out loud slowly. "Let's see…. Deadly Nadder. Likes to preen, very sure of itself, constant grooming." Alvin closed the book after reading the first two lines. "Alright, I'll appeal to it's vanity."

Astrid just smirked in amusement as Alvin tried to coax the dragon with words. He obviously didn't know what he was doing. And it seemed as though despite his best efforts to gain their trust, he had failed miserably. Maybe the dragons only listened to Alex when she bonded with them. That would make sense.

Suddenly the Deadly Nadder shrieked and raised it's tail. Knowing what it was about to do, Astrid rolled to the ground and grabbed a shield. She then landed in between Alvin and the Deadly Nadder just as it fired it's spikes. The spikes had landed on the shield instead of it's intended targets.

"Like I said, that book can only get you so far, Alvin," she repeated herself.

...

"Where do you think you're going?" I held back a cry of pain as Savage grabbed me by the wrist and threw me against the wall. "Heh, you've got a lot more guts than I realized."

"Let me go!" I didn't even keep track of how long I had been running, but right now I was exhausted.

"Right, where are my manners?" Savage chuckled as his grip loosened. Before I could escape he dug his nails into my shoulder, right where my scar was. This time I was fighting back tears as my shoulder felt like it was on fire. "You aren't going anywhere, except a nice little chat with Alvin and Heather."

I felt my blood run cold at the thought of seeing them again. In no way was I in a hurry to see either of them. But Savage wasn't giving me much of a say in the matter. He simply dragged me along as I struggled to free myself from his grip.

After a few minutes of this had gone by I was ready to pass out, again. A combination of hunger and lack of sleep was starting to take over. In all honesty I'd never felt more terrified. Alvin reminded me all too much of my father. He wasn't nearly as bad, but he was a close second.

Finally we reached what looked like a large throne room. My eyes widened in disbelief when I spotted a Deadly Nadder, the same one Alvin had used on me, tied up in ropes nearby. Sure enough Heather was standing beside Alvin, their backs turned to us.

"Alvin, this one was trying to escape again," Savage announced as he kicked me to the ground. The Outcast leader turned around and scowled in disgust.

"And here I thought your previous prison cell was accommodating enough," he sneered. Heather than turned around just as Alvin had and gasped in shock. "We'll make sure that changes." Faster than lightning he slapped me across the face, ignoring the icy glare I gave him. "Anyways, this lass here says that she knows how to use the Book of Dragons. And she can convince you to join us."

Heather's eyes narrowed with what looked like hate. That was when I noticed something off about her. Instead of green eyes she had blue eyes. Astrid's blue eyes. Realization only just dawned on me as Alvin gestured for her to talk.

"Um, sir?" she asked in a meek tone. Alvin raised an eyebrow, eying her suspiciously as she took a step towards me. "Would it be okay if we had a moment alone? It would be easier to talk, you know, girl to girl."

A few seconds of awkward silence passed before Alvin gave a faint nod. "Guard the doors, no one escapes," he ordered Savage and two other men. He was quick to follow, and once left alone I breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Astrid?" My voice was barely a whisper, but she heard it loud and clear. Astrid only grinned sheepishly in response before crouching down to my level. The pain from earlier was still there, but it wasn't as bad now that Alvin and the others were gone.

"Look, we're trying to figure out a way out of here," she explained warily. "But we need the Book of Dragons as well." She glanced over at the door where Alvin was waiting behind. "Any chance we might be able to swipe it from him?"

"Not without a weapon of some kind," I muttered crossly. "I'm not even sure I could fight back if I wanted to." Astrid nodded in understanding before helping me back to my feet. I've never seen her this sympathetic. Then I realized that I must look like something the cat dragged in.

"Alright, I'll try to think of some way to get it back from Alvin," she explained as time started to move on. "For now, just play along." I looked at her in confusion until Alvin stepped in through the door, glancing at us both expectantly.

"Well? I'm waiting for an answer," he said, folding his arms in the process.

"Alex has agreed to your terms, Alvin," Astrid suddenly piped up, mimicking Heather's voice once more. Alvin just looked at us both in surprise.

"Alright than, we'll see if you're telling the truth, tomorrow," he told us. "For now, lock 'em up."

I held back a sigh of relief as we were dragged into separate prison cells. Despite the fact that I was locked up again, at least this time I knew that someone was planning a rescue. I just hoped that Hiccup and the others knew what they were getting themselves into.

...

The next morning we were dragged over to an arena, similar to the one on Berk. Astrid just gave me a faint nod before looking at Alvin hopefully.

"What is it?" Alvin demanded.

"The book, I'll need it," she replied. Alvin just looked at her with narrowed eyes. "I didn't memorize it."

With a reluctant sigh, Alvin handed it over and pushed us both into the arena. I looked around warily as a cage door began to open.

"Please be a Nadder, please be a Nadder," Astrid quietly begged. Looks like she didn't get her wish as a dark yellow and purple Monstrous Nightmare burst through the gate. Anyone else reminded of Spyro the Dragon? "Oh great," Astrid muttered when it engulfed itself in flames.

"Well!" Alvin called. "I'm waiting!"

"I've got this, if you can put on a show for them," I reassured her. Astrid looked at me before nodding in agreement.

"Alright big boy," Astrid began as she approached it slowly. The Nightmare was glaring at her through narrowed eyes. "It's just the three of us." Carefully she reached out with her arm, and I mentally facepalmed.

After watching Snotlout interact with Hookfang, I'd learned that's the worst thing you could do, especially if the dragon was enraged. Sure enough the Nightmare suddenly snapped. Astrid moved her hand out of the way just in time.

"Okay, check that off the list," Astrid muttered to herself. "How about a direct approach?"

I watched in amusement as she charged towards it and grabbed the Nightmare's tail. The dragon just growled in response and lifted it's tail, trying to shake her off.

"Our little Heather is a lot feistier than I remember," I heard Alvin say. Was he really that blind? I rolled my eyes at the thought. It was probably a good thing; we'd be screwed if he discovered that their 'Heather' was actually Astrid in disguise. The Monstrous Nightmare managed to throw Astrid off, and she was sent flying into a wall. "This isn't anything my soldiers have already tried! You'll have to do better!"

The Monstrous Nightmare chose that moment to spot me. Before Astrid or I could make sense of what was happening, I held out my hand as it charged. It stopped in it's tracks, growling in confusion as I locked eyes with it.

"Easy, I'm a friend," I reassured it. The dragon only narrowed it's eyes in confusion before lowering it's head. I waved Astrid over once the initial threat was gone. She quickly grabbed the book and hopped on just as I did.

"How did you do that?" Astrid asked in amazement.

"Long story," I replied with a shrug.

"I told you they knew what they were doing!" Alvin exclaimed once they realized it was over.

"Yes, you certainly did," Savage sighed. Unfortunately that was when the Outcast soldiers decided to show up. The Monstrous Nightmare aimed a wall of fire at the men, who scattered in a hasty attempt to avoid the flames.

"Let's go, tough guy," I patted the Nightmare's neck as it growled in agreement. As we made our way to the exit, Alvin suddenly caught us making a run for it.

"Going somewhere?" Alvin demanded.

"As far away from this damned place as possible!" I snapped. As Alvin kept us waiting, Savage returned with two frightened looking Vikings, leading them to the edge of the arena.

"Did you forget that I still have Heather's parents?" Alvin asked with a grim smile.

"Parents…. She was telling the truth!" Astrid gasped.

"I might see things my way and think of trading that book," Alvin sneered. "Or you can leave and I'll kill them."

Astrid and I exchanged stunned looks. I hadn't known about Heather's parents. But the fact that Alvin was holding them hostage explained everything. My fists clenched with fury at the thought. So this Alvin guy was more than just a bastard.

"Well, let's have it," Alvin ordered, reaching out for the book.

"Send them over first!" Astrid shouted.

"Fine!" Alvin muttered. "Off you go!" I narrowed my eyes in confusion as he shoved them forward. Just how stupid was Alvin?

The parents walked up to us slowly as Astrid jumped down and gave them a hug, eyes brimming with false joy.

"Mom! Dad!" she shouted happily. I tried not to laugh when I realized that they didn't recognize who Astrid was. It was reassuring to know that Alvin really was as stupid as I first thought. Astrid looked at them before explaining the situation, "We're friends of Heathers. We're here to help."

"You do realize that I'm never going to let you leave without that book?" Alvin demanded.

"No kidding!" I retorted. "When I tell you, drop to the ground. It's about to get really hot in here," I added in a whisper.

"Oh, Heather! I'm waiting!" Alvin snarled impatiently. I glared at Alvin coldly once again as Astrid threw the book in the air.

"Now!" I shouted. Heather's parents dropped to the ground immediately, "Sorry boy," I added to the Monstrous Nightmare. I punched him in the snout and watched as he shot fireballs at the Outcast men.

Once the book had landed, Astrid ran over to it, followed by me and Heather's parents. But Alvin threw a bola and managed to snare Heather's dad. Astrid put down the book again and ran over to help, only to find Alvin rushing after it.

Before he could though, Astrid threw herself at it. While she was dealing with Alvin I helped out Heather's dad. That was until Alvin decided to grab her by the hair.

"Heather, Heather, Heather," Alvin tsked his tongue in mock disappointment. Astrid just glared at him as he finally realized who he was dealing with. "Or are you?" Astrid used Alvin's distraction to momentarily knock him out.

As soon as he was on the ground she signaled for us to follow. Heather's parents were eager to get off the island as we made our way over to the sea cliffs.

"Nice makeup, by the way," I murmured as we reached them.

"It's amazing what a little cloth and ash can do for you," Astrid replied with a smirk. As I helped Heather's parents up she waved. I looked up just in time to see that the other riders were waiting for us. Just as Toothless came in, Heather's parents gave startled shouts.

"It's okay, they're friends," I reassured them.

"Who's this?" Hiccup asked once they landed.

"Heather's parents," Astrid replied with a sarcastic tone. "She was telling the truth, just go with the plan." Hiccup turned just in time to see Alvin appear from behind some rocks.

"Oi, there they are," Alvin greeted us with a triumphant smirk. "Get them!" I hadn't even noticed until now that he still had the Book of Dragons around his belt. "Hiccup! Bet you're surprised to see me here," he bellowed.

"Not really," Hiccup replied. "This is where you live." Toothless let out an uncomfortable growl, knowing that we were in danger of getting captured again. "Easy bud." He patted Toothless' head for comfort. "Looks like he's got us, this time."

"You know Hiccup, with this book and my knowledge of warfare, and the power that girl has," his finger pointed in my direction, earning a glare from all of us, "we could make quite the team! How does that sound?"

"Hmm, insane, demented, delusional, and stupid!" Hiccup replied while listing each adjective on his fingers.

"And you already have my answer," I added. Alvin just scowled before coming up with another plan.

"Alright, then we'll just have to agree to disagree," he finally replied. "You two are smart, I'll give you that. But you know I can't let you leave the island."

"And you're a smart, murderous barbarian, Alvin," Hiccup snapped. "You know I have a better plan than this."

"So do I!" Alvin slammed his fist into an open palm.

"Now!" Hiccup yelled.

"Now!" Alvin said at the same time.

Fishlegs, Snotlout and the twins suddenly appeared, flying in the air towards the Outcasts. The battle seemed to drag on for hours until the Outcasts suddenly turned the table. I managed to knock out a few Outcasts here and there, despite the exhaustion from earlier. It was like seeing the dragons had given me some sense of hope or something.

Unfortunately for us, the Outcasts soon had us surrounded. Meatlug had nearly been ensnared by a net, while Barf and Belch's heads were tied together by a rope, and of course the twins had fallen off shortly after. Hookfang tried keeping them back, but he was running out fire power fast.

"There's too many of them!" Snotlout yelled while avoiding arrows.

"We're never getting out of this!" Astrid added.

Suddenly an eerie screech followed, causing everyone to freeze in their tracks. The screech gave my arms goosebumps, and I recognized it almost immediately. Flying towards us at a fast pace was Snowfire.

"Is that…. White Terror!" Alvin's cry was cut off as Snowfire landed in front of him, snarling in outrage.

'_If you ever touch or hurt my rider again, I will rip your throat out and feed it to the Scauldrons_!' Her words were directed to Alvin, who was trembling in horror as she turned back towards me. '_I have missed you, little one_,' she added after pressing her snout to my hands.

"I missed you too," I whispered back. "But, how did you get here?"

'_With some help_,' she replied. I looked up in time to see Stormfly pulling the net off of Fishlegs and Meatlug, than she fired a jet of flames at Barf and Belch, freeing them.

"Is that….?" Astrid's question was already answered for her. Riding on Stormfly was Heather, who was grinning from ear to ear.

"Heather!" Hiccup said with a smile.

"And Stormfly!" Astrid added joyfully.

"What, Heather?" Alvin looked around angrily as Heather landed Stormfly in the center. Astrid wasted no time in running over to Stormfly so that she could hug her dragon.

"I'm sorry we didn't believe you," Astrid apologized.

"It's okay," Heather replied with a shrug. "I wouldn't have believed me either. And Alex, I'm sorry for what I did. I never would have done that if Alvin didn't have my parents."

"Well, since Snowfire already forgives you, I guess I should too," I murmured sheepishly.

"Now lets go get your parents," Astrid said, hopping on to Stormfly.

"So what did I miss while I was gone?" I asked once I was on Snowfire. We took to the air and kept the Outcasts distracted while Astrid and Heather went to rescue her parents.

"Nothing much," Hiccup replied. "Okay guys, just like we practiced. "Ruffnut, cover fire!"

"It's about time!" Ruffnut muttered as she pulled back on Barf's horns, prompting him to spray gas all over the Outcasts. They flew all around the Outcasts in order to create a thick fog, and to block their view.

"I love this part!" Tuffnut yelled and yanked back on Belch's head. Belch let loose with spark that ignited the entire gas cloud, blowing up four catapults in the process.

Another catapult flung a larger boulder straight towards Hiccup and Toothless. They managed to dodge it, but it was also headed straight for Fishlegs and Meatlug.

"Fishlegs, incoming!" he warned them. Meatlug suddenly whirled around and swallowed the boulder with ease.

"Whoa, nice catch girl!" Fishlegs praised her.

"They've gotten better," I realized as Snowfire circled them all. I wouldn't join in the fight unless absolutely necessary.

'_They have practiced_,' Snowfire replied.

As Meatlug destroyed the catapult the Outcasts standing on the dead trees started firing flaming arrows. Snowfire was able to dodge each one as they were aimed towards us, while Snotlout and Hookfang flew towards the trees.

Hookfang quickly ignited himself, and Stormfly fired a volley of spikes that caught on fire through the flames. As soon as they hit the already dead trees, they caught on fire. The Outcasts abandoned their posts just before they were caught up in flames.

"You feeling the heat boys?" Snotlout cried in triumph. "'Cause I am!"

"Great job guys," Hiccup called. "Now let's get out of here."

Relief washed over me as we turned around to leave. I hadn't noticed until it was too late that Alvin set up another catapult. Only this time it was big enough for a person to fit in. And of course they had to put Savage in it.

As they released the catapult, Savage was flung over Snowfire. I barely had time to react as he managed to throw me off balance. Snowfire let out a roar of fury as we both landed in the dead forest, where the trees weren't caught on fire.

Luckily the branches had broken the fall. But as soon as I landed on the ground, Alvin grabbed me by the hair.

"Alex!" Hiccup yelled and flew Toothless towards us.

"You didn't think I'd let you go so easily, did ya?" Alvin sneered as Toothless fired several plasma blasts. Alvin still held on despite the punch I delivered in the stomach. "Surrender!" Alvin yelled while dragging me towards the cliff. Several times I managed to fight back, but as usual Alvin seemed oblivious. "Or I'll… well, you get the idea."

I spotted Snowfire in the distance struggling to reach us. But Toothless was faster and reared up to fire a plasma blast. That was when I noticed a familiar looking Monstrous Nightmare flying underneath.

"Hiccup, don't shoot!" I called. Toothless only crooned in confusion and swallowed the plasma blast. Seconds later and the Monstrous Nightmare flew up so that he could jump on the cliff. "Good boy," I couldn't help but say as he slammed into Alvin, knocking him unconscious. Once I retrieved the Book of Dragons, Snowfire managed to catch up and landed beside the Nightmare, growling in annoyance. "Easy, he's a friend," I reassured her.

Once Alvin had recovered we were already fleeing from the island. The Monstrous Nightmare Astrid and I befriended flew behind us, happy to get away as I climbed back into Snowfire's saddle.

"Who is that?" Hiccup called, referring to the Nightmare behind us.

"Just a new friend Astrid and I made," I replied.

...

It took half the day to reach Berk. By the time we did it was nightfall. The Monstrous Nightmare that had rescued me gave us one last thankful look before taking off, relishing in his new-found freedom.

Heather and her parents were grateful that we had rescued them. Now we were saying our goodbyes as a boat full of supplies was placed by the docks. Despite our differences I could see why Heather had done everything she did. And she was loyal enough to her family that she would put her life at risk. That in itself was amazing.

"I can't thank you all enough," Heather said while looking at us all. "Especially you, Astrid and Alex. You both put your lives on the line for us." Heather than hugged both Astrid and me, though ours was a bit more hesitant.

With that said and done, she turned to Hiccup and Toothless. "I'll miss you too," she said. "Both of you," she added with a laugh, patting Toothless on the head.

"Who knows, maybe we'll see each other again," Hiccup replied with a shrug.

"Maybe we will," Heather said with a small smile.

"Just one thing," Hiccup put in. "If you need help, just as for it."

"I promise," she replied sheepishly. Once Heather and her family was gone, a sense of relief washed over the group. I hadn't realized until now that Hiccup was watching me curiously.

"Are you okay?" he asked in a sheepish tone.

"Well, I'm not a captive anymore, so…." I shrugged and realized how dumb that sounded. All honesty put aside, I wasn't sure how I should be feeling. Being held as Alvin's captive had made me realize just how vulnerable I was.

Before I could make sense of what was happening, Hiccup pulled me in for a hug. Everyone else just stood there in awkward silence as I hugged him back. For the first time I realized that I actually felt safe. Not just on Berk, but with him.

"So are you two gonna kiss or what?" Tuffnut's question made my cheeks burn red as a tomato. I tried not to laugh when Hiccup's did as well.

"Sorry," he muttered after we broke apart. "I just… worried…." My heart was racing when he suddenly pulled me in for a kiss. I wasn't even sure how to react. My legs felt like they were made of jelly as I accepted the embrace.

For a moment it felt like the world was spinning until we broke apart once more. Hiccup's cheeks were a bright red, while mine probably were steaming.

"Ugh, save that for when you're alone," Snotlout muttered while Ruffnut snickered in agreement. Fishlegs tried covering Meatlug's eyes as she growled in confusion.

"Sorry, again." I didn't miss the strange look Astrid had given us, and couldn't help but look away.

"You seriously have to stop apologizing," she finally snapped. "Can you give us all a moment alone?" Hiccup and I looked at Astrid in surprise as the other riders exchanged looks. The awkward silence that followed again was unnerving as they shrugged and left.

"Astrid I—" She stopped Hiccup before he could get another word in.

"Look, I'm the one who should be apologizing," I murmured, feeling half embarrassed and half guilty for what just happened. Astrid just rolled her eyes and folded her arms.

"Just stop, please," she muttered after sighing in annoyance. "Look, I get that there's something going on between you two. The whole village knows it. So why can't you just admit it already?" For a moment we just stared at her.

I already promised that I wouldn't get between them, and now look what happened. Before either of us could say anything, Toothless made a crooning sound and nudged Hiccup forward. Snowfire hummed in amusement when Hiccup and I locked eyes again.

"So," I started as the awkwardness continued. "What now?"

'_You humans are so strange_,' Snowfire suddenly chimed in.

"I guess…. We're a couple now," Hiccup suggested as if the words were alien to him. In all honesty I wasn't even sure what to say to that. I'd never had a boyfriend or anything remotely close to that.

"Yeah, I guess we could go with that." I couldn't help but grin sheepishly once I realized what just happened.

'_It's about time_,' Snowfire hummed with amusement. All of us laughed at that, having only just noticed how much time really did pass since Heather left.

...

Meeting Heather made me realize how lucky I really was. Not only had I found a new place to call home, but I had also found something more. For the first time in my life, I had someone else to call more than just family.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So, what did you think? As you can probably see, I'm not the best at writing romance novels. And things are finally moving forward between Hiccup and Alex. And apologies for any mistakes I may have made... it's been a while since I've seen the episode...<strong>

**silverwolvesarecool - Well I'd say that was a decent ending :)**

**Cutie Kyuubi - She would, but Alex is too nice to let that happen XD**

**69759 - Unfortunately they don't listen very well, given the fact they are still kids :P But you may or may not be right about Alex's father. I'll be going into further detail on their shared past after the second movie is over. And I've honestly never heard of any Steam games ^^**

**HTTYD Obesessed - XD I think you were right about that! I couldn't resist, though their relationship might be a slow progress due to what happened to Alex between her and her father.**

**Guest - She does have a maternal instinct... White Terrors are known for their loyalty and devotion towards their riders. And it's okay, my computer's been crapping out on me lately, especially with iTunes XD**

**Guest 2 - Thank you for reviewing, I really appreciate it! And I may have made a few errors in the beginning... it's been a while since I've gone to Middle School XD I will likely be going through to fix it once I'm finished.**


	28. Thawfest

**Chapter Twenty Eight**

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><p><em>"Hello, my name is regret, I'm pretty sure we have met Every single day of your life, I'm the whisper inside, That won't let you forget Hello, my name is child of the one true King, I've been saved, I've been changed, I have been set free "Amazing Grace" is the song I sing, Hello, my name is child of the one true King..." Hello My Name Is, Matthew West<em>

* * *

><p>I couldn't believe what just happened last night. My mind was still trying to work out what just happened. Snowfire had been laughing at my facial expression when we got back to my place, after the fact that Hiccup had given me a kiss goodnight.<p>

It was just something that I couldn't get used to. Even Toothless had warbled with laughter when we said our goodbyes. But in the end a kiss was still a kiss. And a relationship as still a relationship. That was what my mind had trouble working with.

'_Are you having trouble sleeping_?' Snowfire's hum of amusement stopped me from pacing. I turned and looked to see that Spikes was curled up next to her, snoring away.

"Would it be weird to say that I'm not sure what to do?" I asked warily. Snowfire only cocked her head to one side as I let out a sigh. "It's just that, I've never been in any relationship…. It's all a bit new for me."

'_I'm sure that the other hatchling has the same troubles_,' she replied. '_He does not look like someone who would have had a mate before this_.' I couldn't hide the blush that followed.

"You do know that humans don't use the term 'mate', right?" I leaned against the table as Snowfire simply let out a puff of smoke in my face. "And why me, of all people? What exactly have I done that makes me stand out?"

'_You have done many things that most humans wouldn't even consider_,' she reassured me. '_You are from another world, and yet your heart belongs here_.' I fell quiet after that, having realized that she was partly right.

Part of my heart did belong here. But another part of me yearned to see my mom again, and make sure that she was okay. I shook my head at the thought and tried to clear it. Tomorrow was important day for everyone. The day that I'd heard Hiccup complaining about since arriving on Berk.

Thawfest. It was a festival held on Berk every year to test one's strength. Basically it was like the contests you would watch at Celtic Festivals, if anyone has ever been to one. It also sounded like the kind of festival I would avoid at all costs.

Either way it should be exciting.

...

We were all gathered in the arena the following morning. This year there were a few new changes to the traditional competitions. Not only had dragons been added into the competitions, but according to Stoick, I was now an official Berkian, which meant I had to take part in them.

Joy.

Banners were hoisted up high in the sky as the safety net covering the arena was lifted. Benches had been put in place for everyone to watch. All of the riders, me included, were gathered in the center of the arena while Gobber gave out the morning announcements.

"Dragons are now officially part of Thawfest!" he explained in an eager tone. "There'll be three additional events," he put in as the crowd cheered in delight. "The first if fly and shoot, which will require you to fly straight and shoot straighter."

Gobber ducked just as Barf and Belch fired a gas ball at him. Tuffnut was rubbing the back of his helmet in confusion while Ruffnut snickered at the explosion.

"Sorry, wrong heads!" Tuffnut apologized.

"I knew something felt weird!" Ruffnut grunted as the twins switched heads. They shot another blast, and while Gobber ducked again his flag caught on fire in the process.

"Ah, much better," Tuffnut sighed in relief.

"Next is freestyle," Gobber went on after blowing out the fire on his flag. "It's up to you to impress the judges with a trick of your choice."

'_That can be done easily_,' Snowfire hummed as we watched Astrid try a few tricks with Stormfly. They were turning in tight-nit circles, careful not to break their concentration until Stormfly had come to a full stop.

"That's it girl," Astrid praised the Nadder. "Just like we practiced."

"Uh, excuse me?" Fishlegs asked as he raised his hand. "Meatlug and I were wondering if there would be any intellectual events, such as puzzles perhaps," he suggested with a hopeful look.

"I'll take that under advisement, Fishlegs," Gobber replied while patting him on the shoulder. "And let's not forget, the hurdles—" Gobber was interrupted once again as a loud cheer rang throughout the crowd. I rolled my eyes in annoyance as Snotlout and Hookfang finally arrived.

"Great, there goes the arena," I muttered under my breath. They landed heavily on the ground between Stormfly and Meatlug, kicking up a cloud of dust in the process. Snotlout dismounted Hookfang and joined us shortly after, giving us all a smug look as he stood beside Tuffnut.

What really took the cake though was the fact that he was wearing all of the medals from his previous wins. Again I rolled my eyes, resisting the urge to smack him right in the nose.

"You know what I love the most about the Thawfestival games?" he asked while glancing at them. "Winning! Wanna touch one of my medals? Just to see what it feels like to be a winner?" I knew he was just egging everyone on. But I didn't miss the sour look Hiccup gave him.

Before Snotlout could say anything else, Snowfire let out a puff of snow that covered his face. By now everyone was laughing at the looks Snotlout gave her after shaking it off.

"My family has never lost a Thawfest game, ever!" Snotlout continued bragging once he'd recovered.

"Here we go…." Astrid sighed, crossing her arms in annoyance.

I nodded in agreement, leaning against Snowfire as she glared at Snotlout. This was what I hated about him the most. Not only was he loud and obnoxious, but he also loved bragging. It was just something that seemed to come naturally to him. To make matters worse he was picking on poor Hiccup the entire time, not giving notice to the other riders.

"Dragons, or no dragons, I'm gonna do what I do every year – bring glory to my clan. And you, of course, get to embarrass yours." His smug look was just begging to be smacked to kingdom come as he backed away towards Hookfang.

'_I'd watch your tone, hatchling_,' Snowfire suddenly snapped. Snotlout didn't even seem phased by her words as he got onto Hookfang's saddle.

"Let's go Hookfang!" The Monstrous Nightmare jumped in surprise, causing Snotlout to twirl upside down, dangling from his neck as his dragon flew off. I had to laugh at the sight, suddenly wishing I had a camera. "I will crush you all!" he called once they were far enough away.

Everyone started mumbling in agreement, while I just glared after them. The only one on Berk to ever come close to beating Snotlout in the Thawfest games was Astrid. She was proud of the fact, but still disappointed and angry that she had lost.

"So I take it you have an idea for this years games?" I asked once the crowd began to thin out. Hiccup just gave me a knowing smirk before turning towards Toothless.

"Let's just say I'm about to give Snotlout a taste of his own medicine," he replied.

"I'm still trying to figure out how you managed to scare the wits out of him yesterday," Gobber put in. I held back a sly grin at the memory. "So, is it true, what Astrid said about you two?" The arena suddenly became awkwardly silent once he asked that.

Almost at once Hiccup and I exchanged looks before we shrugged. Aside from Astrid, Stoick was the only person we told. You could imagine what Stoick had said about that. Much to my surprise, and Hiccup's, Stoick had actually approved. In fact, he was happy with the choice the heir to Berk had made.

"Yeah." Gobber just looked at the to of us like we had grown wings.

"I wouldn't let Snotlout get to you," I added with a roll of my eyes. "He's a jerk, but Snowfire can easily put him in his place." To which she hummed in agreement.

"Oh I'm sure she could," Hiccup replied with a smirk.

...

I was back in my place later that night. Studying a way to work on techniques for the freestyle course. So far we'd managed to outsmart everyone when it came to freestyle. Snowfire had a way of intimidating the dragons while she herself performed moves no other dragon on the island could.

One of those techniques happened to be creating snow. I'd learned that there were no other dragons like Snowfire. She was the only one of her kind that could breathe both fire and ice. How she was able to do that, I'd never fully understand.

"So, any ideas on what to do for the competitions?" I asked warily. The dragon part of the competitions we could win easily. But the rest of the games, that was more difficult. Hopefully I wouldn't look too pathetic out there.

'_Perhaps it is not about brute strength_,' Snowfire replied with a hum of amusement. I only rolled my eyes and looked back at everything we had done. '_Winning isn't everything_,' she suddenly added. I tried not to smirk at that, knowing full well my mom would have said the same thing.

"Alright, we'll just work on our freestyle than," I sighed after pushing away the journal. It had everything from my first time arriving in this world, to even before than. One of these days I'd have to look back at it.

...

It was early in the morning when we were all gathered in the arena for the Thawfestival Games. On the cliff wall were less than exciting paintings of our faces that would keep score. Stoick stood on a wooden stage as the crowd cheered in excitement.

"Let the Thawfestival Games begin!" Stoick announced, throwing his arms out. And to start out the games, Stoick opened a chest where a group of colorful Terrible Terrors were kept in. I couldn't help but smirk when I spotted Spikes among them. It took a lot of convincing to let him join in the games.

The crowd went wild at the sight. This was after all the first time Thawfest was held with dragons involved. It was an exciting time for everyone, including the dragons. Until of course some of the Terrible Terrors decided to get cheeky and steal some of the bystanders food.

Spitelout, who I learned was Snotlout's father, was with him giving an outstanding pep talk. Now I understood where Snotlout got his obnoxiousness from.

"What are we?" Spitelout shouted.

"We're killers!" Snotlout replied with a face that made me nearly roll over laughing. If only I had a camera.

"What do we do?"

"We kill!"

"What do we say?"

"Snotlout! Snotlout! Oi! Oi! Oi!" The two banged helmets once their cheers were over.

In no time we were all lined up in the Academy for the first event. Bucket and Mulch were the official game announcers, much to my amusement. This reminded me so much of the Olympic sports I used to watch with my mom.

"The contestants are lining up for the Sheep Lug!" Mulch announced.

"It's a good day for lugging sheep," Bucket replied.

"Well Bucket, every day is a good day for lugging sheep," Mulch replied with a nod of agreement.

From what I gathered the game was simple enough. Each contestant had a sheep placed on their shoulder and had to lug it all the way to the finish line before dropping the animal to let it loose. Gobber carefully placed the sheep on each contestant's shoulders. The extra weight made me want to throw it off immediately, but I resisted.

Snotlout was more than ready to leave everyone in the dust. I secretly hoped he dropped the sheep in the process, though I would feel sorry for the poor sheep. Hiccup just glared at Snotlout's arrogance before glancing at me.

"Good luck," I mouthed before getting ready to run. The smile that followed was enough to make me feel like I could carry a tree.

"On your mark… get set…." Mulch said slowly in order to build anticipation. Than a loud clank followed.

The bang on Bucket's helmet signaled for us to start the race. Snotlout, Hiccup and I had managed to reach the finish line while the others fell behind due to exhaustion. I was surprised even Astrid couldn't manage to carry a sheep across her shoulders. The only downside was that the sheep didn't seem to enjoy getting lugged around like bales of hay.

Snotlout had won in the end. Hiccup barely managed to reach the finish line before collapsing, dropping the sheep in the process. The sheep I was holding had managed to kick and struggle it's way free before I could reach the finish line.

"Yeah!" Snotlout shouted with pride as he threw the sheep down.

"That's my boy!" Spitelout cheered with a triumphant grin.

"The point of the Thawfest Game goes to Snotlout!" Mulch announced to the cheering crowds. Snotlout grinned at the line that was painted right by his face. I rolled my eyes in annoyance as he started rubbing it in.

"Right where you are! Down at my feet! Here, let me help you." Snotlout reached out with a hand, making everyone look at him in surprise. But before Hiccup could do anything, Snotlout withdrew his hand. "Oops! Too slow! As usual." Snotlout didn't get very far without receiving a punch in the gut from me.

"You okay?" I couldn't help but glare at Snotlout. What was it with that bastard and winning? There were times when I did wish that Snowfire would make quick work of him. But Snotlout was Snotlout, and unfortunately he couldn't be changed.

"I've been better," Hiccup muttered as I helped him up.

"Hey, there will be plenty more events that you can beat him at," I reassured him. "And there's no way he could win at the dragon competitions." Hiccup nodded in agreement as we headed for the next event.

One of my least favorites, the Log Roll. I've only seen this done on television, and even than it didn't look easy. I wasn't the most coordinated person when it came to walking on logs or any beams for that matter.

"Next up is our traditional Log Roll event!" Mulch announced once we were all gathered. Basically the Log Roll was an event where you had to run on the log for as long as you could without falling off. The hardest part was keeping your balance. Down below was a rocky pit where the opponents could fall off.

"Enjoy your face plants!" Snotlout sneered as Bucket's helmet clanged.

All of us started running in place as the competition began. Snotlout and I exchanged looks before I sped up, leaving him to speed up in the process. The first one to fall off was Astrid, who was thrown off by Fishlegs' hand. He fell off shortly after, followed by the twins as they were thrown into a nearby wall. In the end it was just Snotlout and I as we kept pace with each other. The glare Snotlout gave me was priceless as I held on, despite the exhaustion threatening to overwhelm me.

"And another point goes to Snotlout!" Mulch announced. The crowd went wild again, until Mulch waved his hand for silence. "Wait, it seems Alex has earned a point as well. Now that's what I call determination!"

"That's me boy!" Spitelout cheered with pride while I was ready to pass out in exhaustion. Toothless leaped into the rocks to help Hiccup up. I couldn't watch as his prosthetic leg got caught on the log.

"Ow! Thank you, Toothless," Hiccup groaned while Snowfire helped me off of the log. Frankly I'm amazed that I survived that long.

"Now I know how a hamster feels," I muttered after rubbing my legs. The look Hiccup gave me was priceless. I keep forgetting that certain animals aren't well known around these parts. "Sorry, reference to my world," I explained with a shrug.

"That was amazing," Hiccup said with a grin. "How'd you manage to stay on the log?"

"Honestly, even I don't know," I replied sheepishly. "There are still more events to look forward to," I added after glancing at the scoreboard. I was more than surprised to see that I had a point. And of course Snotlout had two.

However, the next event was probably one of my least favorites. The Axe Throwing event. Now if it were archery, that might be a different story. When I was ten I started taking archery lessons, but stopped before the summer was even over. I bet I could still remember what I'd learned than. But axe throwing was something completely different, as Mulch was about to explain.

"The next event is the Axe Throwing contest, where accuracy is supreme," Mulch announced. As he spoke, Snotlout aimed at a barrel and threw his axe forward. "Bull's-eye!" Mulch said as the axe landed dead-on it's target.

The others… weren't so lucky. Astrid and Fishlegs' axes collided with each other as they both threw at the same time. The axes went spinning out of control and landed just by the barrel. As for the twins, they weren't much better. They managed to lose their balance while throwing their axes around.

Hiccup and I were up next. I took a deep breath before throwing my axe. It was heavier than I thought and had missed the target by a few inches. But to my surprise I wasn't disappointed. In fact I was glad that I actually managed to throw the axe. Hiccup's throw was pretty good as well. But the barrel unfortunately was too far away, and the axe had landed on the ground in front of it.

"Here's how it's done, _dragon boy_!" Snotlout sneered as he shoved Hiccup aside. He tossed multiple axes at once, and still managed to get a perfect aim. How the hell was that even possible?

"Showoff!" Hiccup grumbled under his breath as I glared at the bastard. Spitelout only made it worse by sharing his own 'words of wisdom'.

"Why don't you just give us your medal now, Stoick?" he demanded in a sneer. "Save your boy the embarrassment?" Stoick just glared at him, obviously exasperated by the amount of gloating the two were doing.

'_If you don't shut up now, I might just freeze the both of you_,' Snowfire snapped in an angry voice. Her words were directed to the both of them, and Spitelout's eyes were wide with shock.

"Be my guest," I muttered with a shrug. Snowfire only hummed in amusement as the air around us suddenly got colder. But only enough to keep Spitelout quiet, for now. Hiccup looked at the scoreboard and let out a sigh of frustration.

"Wow! I have all three points _and_ the best looking picture? Unfair!" Snotlout gloated again.

"Yeah, and I still have one," I reminded him, pointing at my picture with a point line next to it.

"What's the big deal? You just have one point? I doubt you and Hiccup could ever catch up with me!" Snotlout scoffed. I only folded my arms and glared at Snotlout. Sometimes words weren't enough to describe how much I wanted to make his life miserable. Snotlout was starting to make Mildew look _good_, and that's saying something.

"Oh, have your fun for now," Hiccup warned him. I hadn't even noticed until now that he was glaring. "Tomorrow, everything changes…. Right, bud?" Toothless crooned in agreement as he looked at his dragon best friend.

"Hm, with the dragon competition coming up, I'm not sure if Snowfire will let you win," I chimed in. Snowfire hummed as she stood next to me, glaring at Snotlout in the process. "She doesn't take too kindly to losing." Snotlout didn't even seem phased.

"Oh I can't wait," he replied with a smirk. "Because Hookfang and I? It's like boy and dragon have become one. We're like a bragon. or a droy."

'_I'll believe it when I see it_,' Snowfire snapped as Snotlout got onto Hookfang.

"Or Snotfang!" he shouted as they took off.

"Let me know when you start coming up with good names!" I called once they were gone.

"Yeah? Well, tomorrow you're gonna have to deal with…. _Hicctooth_!" Hiccup put in. Both Toothless and Snowfire gave him funny looks while I just folded my arms.

"Hicctooth?" I asked skeptically.

"Yeah, not my snappiest comment," Hiccup admitted sheepishly while rubbing the back of his neck.

"Why are you letting yourself get caught up in this?" I couldn't help but ask. Part of me already knew the answer. But something told me there was more to it than Snotlout's constant gloating.

"Because, for the first time ever, I have a chance to beat Snotlout," he replied after sighing in frustration. "To quiet him down—" Snotlout didn't give him the chance to finish as Hookfang flew past in a rude manner.

"Snotlout! Snotlout! Oi! Oi! Oi!" Snotlout chanted as they flew away.

"What an ass," I muttered under my breath. But I did understand what Hiccup meant. Seeing Snotlout silent for a change would be nice. "But still," I added with a grin. "It would be nice to see someone else win a Thawfest medal." I didn't miss of determination that suddenly gleamed in his eyes.

"You've spiked your last sheep, 'Snotfang'. Tomorrow's a new day," he said in a voice full of determination.

"Just try not to let the competition get to your head," I reminded him before heading out to get ready for tomorrow. The following morning would prove whether or not he was right.

...

"Welcome to day two of the Thawfest Games!" Mulch announced. It was early the next morning, and we were all eager to get started with the competitions.

"It's a good day for lugging sheep," Bucket added in a hopeful voice.

At the Academy there were hurdles placed all over. The competition was to see whether or not the rider and dragon could get underneath them. This should be interesting. Snowfire may be twice the size of the other dragons around her, but she was still able to get through small spaces. I was actually looking forward to seeing what she could do.

"First up, the hurdles!" Mulch continued as the crowd roared in excitement.

"Hurdles schmurdles," Snotlout snorted in amusement. "I could go over them in my sleep. Might as well give me that point now."

"Be my guest," Hiccup replied with a gesture towards the hurdles. To which I just rolled my eyes while Snowfire hummed in amusement at Snotlout's ignorance.

"Snotlout has the rules all wrong again," Astrid muttered under her breath. Even she was fed up with him. And that was saying something.

"You don't go over the hurdles," I retorted. "You go _under_." Snotlout blinked in surprise before scoffing again.

"Duh, I knew that."

'_Of course you did_,' Snowfire said sarcastically.

"And first up is Fishlegs!" At the signal, Fishlegs and Meatlug were off. I wasn't surprised to see them struggle in this course. Poor Meatlug got stuck under the first hurdle, while Fishlegs looked a bit ashamed of himself. Gronckles weren't exactly built for this kind of competition.

"Um, guys! A little help over here! It's okay girl," Fishlegs reassured Meatlug as her ears folded in defeat. I couldn't help but feel sorry for poor Meatlug. Now if it were a rock eating contest, she'd win hands down.

Astrid and Stormfly were up next. They were doing pretty good, until Stormfly's tail caught on one of the hurdles. I tried not to laugh when Astrid showed signs of frustration. Stormfly had done her best, but a loss is still a loss.

The twins were after Astrid. Barf and Belch pretty much made Meatlug look good with the hurdles. With their two heads, they barely got under any hurdles before the Zippleback got their heads tangled in one hurdle. The attempt at flying under the hurdle sent the twins flying off of their saddles and into the crowd.

"Are you ready for this?" I asked as Snowfire and I were up next. She only hummed in response before nuzzling me affectionately.

'_I am ready_,' she replied. Snowfire curled her wings so that she appeared smaller as she flew under the hurdles. Like that time with the tree, she was able to fly under every hurdle without touching them. I couldn't hide my happiness when we received another point. '_No one can best me_.' The smugness in her voice made me smirk as she landed nearby. Now it was just Snotlout and Hiccup that were left.

"Where's your book, Hiccup? You might wanna take notes. Ha!" Snotlout taunted before Hookfang took off. I had to laugh when Hookfang flew under the hurdles. But it seemed that Snotlout was too big for Hookfang to go any further.

By now even Hiccup was smiling as Snotlout got smacked in the forehead while Hookfang flew on. He yelped several times until the competition was finally finished. Once Hookfang had landed there was a nasty bruise on his forehead.

"What was that about taking notes?" I asked in a mocking voice. Snotlout just scowled at us as Hiccup got ready.

"Let's show them how it's done, bud," Hiccup said as Toothless took off. I watched in awe as Toothless glided smoothly under all of the hurdles. At one point they were even flying upside down. That to me showed just how much Hiccup had grown as a rider.

"And Hiccup makes a perfect run!" Mulch exclaimed as the crowd cheered on.

I couldn't help but grin as they put the mark next to Hiccup's picture. But the moment I went over to congratulate him, he did something completely unexpected.

"Did you hear what he said?" he asked enthusiastically. "A _perfect_ run! I-I believe those are my first Thawfest points, ever! I just realized something…. I like beating Snotlout! I feel taller! Am I taller? Never mind, don't answer that?"

I resisted the urge to facepalm at that moment. This was a side of Hiccup I had never seen. And apparently I wasn't the only one to take notice of it.

"Is he… gloating?" Fishlegs asked hesitantly.

"I'm not sure," Astrid admitted. "I've never actually seen him gloat." Astrid looked at me as if she thought I'd know something she didn't. I could only bite the bottom of my lip, because honestly what _was_ I supposed to say?

"Don't get too excited," Snotlout cut in. My eyes narrowed with annoyance as I saw the reason behind this odd behavior. "You know what this is? The number of wins I need to end this thing," he said smugly. He than held up two more fingers and continued, "And you know what this is? Still the number of chances I have to win."

To which Hiccup held up two fingers that were centimeters apart. "Oh yeah? Well you know what this is? The size of your brain. No. Wait…." Hiccup paused and pinched his fingers together, "That's better."

"Like you've ever seen my brain," Snotlout scoffed after looking taken aback by Hiccup's comeback. "Come on, Hookfang," he huffed as he and Hookfang left. Hiccup than turned to see me looking at him in concern and slight disappointment.

"What? He started it… when I was five," he said in his defense.

'_You are acting like a hatchling Zippleback_,' Snowfire suddenly chided. '_One obnoxious human is more than enough_.' Hiccup looked at us both like we were crazy. And I hadn't even said anything! Although I did have to agree with Snowfire on that one. I just hoped I never had to see him act like Snotlout again.

"Next up, Freestyle competition!" Mulch announced. "Contestants and their dragons show off your skills and abilities!" Barf and Belch were the first to start the competition.

"Check this out!" Ruffnut called as she balanced on one foot on her brother's head.

"We call it the 'Iron Split'!" Tuffnut added as Barf and Belch did a neck split, making him perform one as well. A bunch of Vikings in the crowd winced at the sight. They just got a few meager points after they were finished.

Fishlegs was up next. "We like to call this next feat of daring, '_The Extreme Butterfly_'!" he announced. Meatlug began to fly around in a circle, going faster and faster until she got dizzy and crashed. Needless to say, the judges were not impressed. "It's okay girl. This just wasn't our commercial either," he reassured Meatlug.

Then Stormfly and Astrid wowed the crowd with their balance trick. She put on an entire gymnastics routine on her Nadder's back while flying around. It was an impressive sight. Astrid had almost perfect balance and didn't fall off even once.

"How does she make it look so easy?" Fishlegs asked.

"How come you can't do that?" Tuffnut asked his sister. "I mean…. I could." I had to laugh as Ruffnut pushed Tuffnut to the ground. In the end, Astrid had gotten a nearly perfect score.

Snowfire and I had narrowly missed getting a winning point. She flew high in the air before I jumped off head first. Luckily she was faster and flew underneath just as I was about to hit the ground head-on. In the middle of our show she created a volley of snow flurries that surrounded the entire area. By the time we were finished everyone was gaping in awe. Snowfire fired a blast similar to Toothless' plasma blast once our routine was finished.

Even if we didn't want I was still proud. Just a year ago I would've never thought of jumping off Snowfire's back. And now I was more than happy to. I trusted Snowfire with my life. And I didn't have to win every competition. Ya win some and ya lose some.

Hiccup and Toothless than performed their freestyle event. At first they flew around the arena at top speed. Then, as they approached an oncoming sea-stack, Toothless did a somersault that vaulted them right over it.

"Whoo-hoo! Yeah baby!" Hiccup cheered victoriously as they flew back to the arena. It wasn't surprising that he had gotten a perfect score as well. Then he noticed the large wooden hoops that circled the arena.

"I hear Snotlout's gonna try a trick called the '_Deadly Rings of Fire_'," Tuffnut explained with a shrug. "No one's ever tried it before."

"Yeah," Ruffnut said with a sly look. "But that's because it's too dangerous."

"No! Because he made it up!" Tuffnut retorted.

"Well, either way this should be interesting to watch," I muttered as Hiccup glanced at Snotlout and Hookfang anxiously. Even if they didn't get along, he'd never want either of them getting hurt.

Snotlout didn't seem to mind what would happen though. In fact he was more confident than ever. "I'm probably gonna win just for coming up with this!" he boasted as he and Hookfang took off. "Fire!" Snotlout ordered. Hookfang aimed a fireball at the hoop and it caught fire in seconds. But the sight of the flames caused Hookfang to panic. The Monstrous Nightmare screeched in confusion and stopped in his tracks, throwing Snotlout off in the process. I couldn't help but laugh as Snotlout's butt caught on fire; he certainly suffered the Deadly Ring of Fire all of the villagers were laughing as well as Snotlout yelped in pain and tried putting the fire out.

"I get the rings and the fire part but… where's the death? I feel cheated" Tuffnut asked in confusion. His sister frowned and nodded in agreement.

The end results left Snotlout with three, and Hiccup and I with two. The last event would determine whether or not there would be a tie. As the crowd left to get ready for the next event, Hiccup strolled over to where Snotlout was standing with a triumphant smirk on his face.

"Oh Snotlout, looks like your father's pretty angry right now," he scolded while looking at the stands. I didn't miss the fact that Snotlout's face paled when he looked at his father. Sure enough Spitelout did look pissed off. To the point where he was glaring daggers at his own son.

"What do you know? He always looks like that" he laughed nervously before regaining his composure. "Do you really think you have any shot at beating me?"

"As a matter of fact I do have a shot at beating you," Hiccup replied. I could only watch in concern as the two had a go at each others throats. What was it with guys and being super competitive? I understood where Hiccup got it from, but still…. That didn't make it any better.

"Do not!" Snotlout snapped.

"Do too!" Hiccup shouted back.

"Do not!" Snotlout's voice rose a pitch.

"Do too! Think about it! Toothless is a Night Fury! And I'm the best rider! How can I possibly lose?" Hiccup demanded.

"Because that's what I do! I _win_, _you_ lose!" Snotlout retorted.

"Check the scoreboard, Snotlout!" Hiccup pointed out. Snotlout just glared at him as he tried thinking of a comeback. When he couldn't think of anything else, he stormed off muttering angrily in gibberish.

"What was that all about?" Astrid asked nervously, having watched the entire confrontation.

"Just rattling cages," Hiccup replied before leaving.

"Since when do you '_rattle cages_'?" I whispered under my breath. I didn't want to point out that there were two people on the island with the 'Best Rider' title. Hiccup was already riled up enough, and saying that would only make things worse.

The last event of the day was a flying-and-shooting event. This was one of the best ways to train beginning riders. And it was actually a fun sport.

"The contestants are all lined up for the Fly-And-Shoot," Mulch announced. "Where they must shoot down their foes and spare their friends."

'_Easy enough_,' Snowfire hummed.

"The villagers are not your enemy," I reminded her with a grin. Snowfire gave me an incredulous look before shuffling her wings in annoyance.

'_Than we might have a problem_,' she muttered crossly. I only rolled my eyes as wooden popup dummies of Outcasts and Berkians appeared around the dock area. Even though the others hadn't scored so well, Snowfire and Toothless had gotten almost perfect scores.

"Easy, he's a friend!" I shouted when a dummy that looked like Snotlout appeared. Snowfire was tempted to fire when I veered away just in time. We maneuvered around the course with ease once it was finished. Snowfire hummed triumphantly and let out a puff of snow all over my face. "Thanks for that," I laughed.

Next up were Toothless and Hiccup. The pair flew by with just as much ease and grace to move through the course.

"Outcast bud!" Hiccup warned. Toothless immediately fired a plasma blast at the dummy, blowing it up to smithereens. Then a Berkian target popped up. "She's a friend! Easy bud!" Hiccup quickly pried Toothless away from the dummy. Just as they were ready to leave another Outcast dummy appeared. Toothless wasted no time in firing a plasma blast at it, destroying the dummy in seconds. "Thanks bud, I didn't see that one," Hiccup thanked Toothless once they landed.

"Hiccup and Toothless come through with a perfect score! Along with Alex and Snowfire!" Mulch cheered along with the rest of the crowd.

Meanwhile Hookfang and Snotlout were a bit nervous. It was easy to see that they were worried about our victories.

As Snotlout and Hookfang ran through the course everything seemed to run smoothly. But than Hookfang fired at a group of civilian dummies. That was when things started to go wrong for them. Hookfang kept firing blasts at anything that moved, including the bystanders.

"Snotlout! Get that dragon under control!" Spitelout shouted from among the crowd. I looked on just in time to see how angry Spitelout was. He clearly didn't enjoy watching his son fail miserably.

"This does not look good for the reigning Thawfestival Champion!" Mulch exclaimed as the crowds gasped in fear. The twins, though not surprising, were cheering as they watched the spectacle. I rolled my eyes at the sight.

When it was over, the most unexpected thing happened. Hookfang and Snotlout had failed the last competition. Which meant that the score was at a three-way tie.

"And for the first time in Thawfestival history, we have a _three-way_ tie!" Mulch announced in excitement. "Tomorrow, these three young Vikings will go head-to-head in an event to decide the Thawfest Champion!"

I couldn't believe it. For the first time in my life I actually had a chance at winning something. Gym class had been my least favorite subject, so of course I never got into any sports other than archery. But the happy mood didn't last long as I stood on the stage with Hiccup and Snotlout.

"I can't believe how lucky you are," Snotlout jeered through gritted teeth while trying to keep a straight face. "You don't even belong on the same stage as me."

"That's it, keep talking, Snotlout as your family's winning streak goes up in smoke," Hiccup replied with a sly grin. "Just like your Deadly Rings of Fire." Once again Snotlout was at a loss for words and stormed off, unable to take it. I watched with unease as he left, realizing just how far this was going. "Hey, what's the matter? Yak got your tongue?" Hiccup taunted as Snotlout kicked a bucket in a fit of rage.

"Hiccup," I muttered warily under my breath. This was getting out of hand.

"Oh, he's crumbling under the pressure. I can feel it." All I could do was just watch with folded arms as he suddenly had the appearance of a Jekyll and Hyde. Hiccup suddenly looked at me in confusion when he noticed the look I was giving him. "What?" was all he could ask.

"Hiccup, I get that winning is important to you," I began with a sigh. "But don't you think you're taking things a bit too far? There's an old saying in my world, and I can't believe I'm saying it: Winning isn't everything. Accept what you have, and be grateful for it."

"I'm just trying to put Snotlout in his place!" he protested. "He's always won the games and should know it's high time that someone else does!"

'_Then why will you not allow someone else to win_?' Snowfire cut in, narrowing her eyes dangerously. '_We dragons are known for our pride, and humans as well. But humans have one thing we do not: The will to keep down that pride_.'

Hiccup stood there in shock as we turned to leave.

"I still care about you Hiccup," I suddenly called over my shoulder. "I just don't care about the way you're acting right now."

Winning wasn't everything. Snowfire was right about that. Which is why starting tomorrow I was going to out on the race. Besides, there was always next year. I still couldn't believe that I had made it as far as I had. Maybe all of those months living here had somehow given me a chance.

"I sure hope things go back to normal after this is over," I muttered as we reached my place. Snowfire simply nudged me sympathetically as I patted her on the forehead.

'_Humans are competitive by nature_,' she told me. I nodded in agreement before resting up for tomorrow. Whether or not I took part in the race, I did need sleep. Every part of my body was aching from today's events.

...

Darkness surrounded me once again as I wandered aimlessly through it. I held back a sigh of frustration when I realized what that meant. Yet another nightmare. It had actually been a while since I had one like this, and I had hoped that I was free of them.

I hated these nightmares. More so because they triggered memories of my father. I couldn't forget what he did to me all those years ago. Or forget that he might actually be here in this world. The thought still chilled me to the bone.

"You can't escape the truth." His words, sharp and cruel, cut through the silence like a knife. My skin turned to ice as I looked around, only to find a pair of glowing eyes glaring back at me. "You don't belong here."

"Just leave me alone already." My voice was barely a whisper. I realized all too soon that I couldn't even move my legs. They were frozen to the ground as a hand grabbed my shoulder, on the side that had a scar on it.

I held back a cry of pain at the burning sensation. The last time something like this had happened was when Savage grabbed me by the shoulder. And the moment the hand grabbed my shoulder, I woke up gasping for breath. Snowfire's eyes were wide with concern when she heard my cry.

'_Little one_!' she reacted immediately as my hand moved to my shoulder.

"It's never hurt this much before," I groaned. Carefully I pulled up the sleeve to notice that the scar was bright red, like it had just started healing again.

'_What is that_?' she sniffed my shoulder warily after getting up. Instantly she recoiled at the sight.

"A scar," was all I could say. "Given to me by dear old dad."

That nightmare had triggered more than just a memory. My fists clenched with pain at the thought of what had happened that night. Snowfire only rested her chin on my leg as she tried to comfort me. I couldn't take part in that race. Not when my shoulder was reacting this badly.

...

I was still shaken from last night's events when we reached the Academy. My shoulder was still throbbing in pain despite my best efforts to forget it. Snowfire hadn't left my side since I told her about it. Hiccup and Snotlout were already there, getting ready for the final event.

"Alex, what happened?" Hiccup hadn't missed the fact that I was holding on to my shoulder, struggling to keep on a straight face.

"It was nothing," I lied through gritted teeth. And of course he saw right through that and eyed me skeptically. "Another nightmare," I finally murmured, feeling uncomfortable once again. "I won't be able to take part in the race, not like this."

"Ha! I knew you'd chicken out!" Snotlout's jeers fell on deaf ears. Snowfire, however, heard him and let out a growl loud enough to send him running away in fear.

"Welcome to the final deciding event of this years Thawfest's Games! The Obstacle Course! Gobber, take it away," Mulch began as he stepped down. Gobber than pointed at a large map that was drawn on the Academy's wall.

"The race will start here in the Academy," he explained. "Where after the Log-Dodge, and the Cliff-Climb, Hiccup and Snotlout will get on their dragons, loop around the flagship anchored off the coast, slalom through the sea-stack maze, then head back here! The first one to pass through the finish line is the winner!"

I stayed with the rest of the Viking teens as the race was about to start. My shoulder still felt like it was on fire, but the pain wasn't as intense now. From the docks we had the best view. Astrid was the first to realize that I wasn't taking part in the race.

"Why aren't you in the race?" she asked in confusion.

"I can't really answer that honestly," I explained with a shrug. "Though I will admit, I didn't want to get caught between those two." I nodded towards Hiccup and Snotlout.

"Vikings and dragons! Take your positions!" Mulch called loudly enough for us to hear. Hookfang and Toothless were already waiting at the sea stack. The obstacle course itself was a dangerous one, and it was obvious they were both worried for their riders' safety. "On your mark, get set… Go!" At the sound of Bucket's clang, the race started.

"Out of my way!" Snotlout shoved Hiccup aside and marched right over to the obstacle course, earning glares from just about everyone but Spitelout.

"Asshole," I muttered under my breath. Astrid and the other teens nodded in agreement, though they didn't dare use my harsh words.

Snotlout easily dodged the logs that were rolled down the hill by some men and managed to get a head start at the Cliff Climb. Hiccup surprisingly enough wasn't far behind. He had a bit of difficulty in avoiding the logs, but he managed to reach the rock wall. At this point Stoick had already run to the docks where Thornado was waiting. If things went bad he would be there to rescue anyone in need of it.

In the meantime, Snotlout was climbing the wall like a possessed man. I'd never seen anyone rock climbing that fast. Might as well compare him to a mountain goat. Even has boulders were hurdled down at him he refused to give up. One had even smacked him right in the face.

"Ooh! Rock in the face! Heh, I love a good rock in the face," Tuffnut said with a grin. Ruffnut smiled mischievously before bashing her brother in the face with a small boulder. "Yeah! That's what I'm talking about…." Tuffnut whooped before spinning around.

'_Do not make me sit on you_,' Snowfire snapped as the twins started going at it. Immediately they stopped at the threat, but it was hard to resist since there was nothing better to do.

Hiccup was having a difficult time with the cliff. I know I would've failed miserably at this course. The boulders being flung by men didn't help matters. Suddenly his foot slipped and he began to fall. My heart started racing with unease when I realized all too soon what was happening.

"I can't watch!" Fishlegs gasped, while covering his eyes. Though I noticed that he was peaking through his fingers. Fortunately Hiccup's prosthetic leg saved him by catching hold on to the rock wall's surface.

Astrid and I let out a sigh of relief at the same time before exchanging looks. Within seconds Astrid narrowed her eyes before looking away. I simply rolled mine and kept an eye on the race as Snotlout reached Hookfang first.

Hiccup had gotten onto Toothless in no time, but Snotlout was still in the lead. That was all about to change when Toothless put on a burst of speed. Even Snowfire was cheering them on when they started closing in on Hookfang.

When they managed to catch up with Snotlout, things started to heat up between the two. Snotlout glared over his shoulder before pulling Hookfang on ahead, leaving Toothless and Hiccup behind in the process. I watched with interest as Hiccup suddenly opened a new tail for Toothless. Without another moment to lose Toothless had sped up, going at top speed.

"Wow, now I get what he meant last night," I murmured after watching them in awe. They were almost as fast as Snowfire now. "Looks like you've got some real competition there," I added to her.

'_We shall see about that_,' she grumbled with a roll of her eyes.

By now the two competitors had reached the sea stacks, where the real challenge was. With narrow gaps and spaces, the riders would have to maneuver their dragons carefully. And of course Snotlout tried blocking Hiccup, which only made things even more complicated.

Hookfang refused to budge, and as the space got narrower, Snotlout began to realize how dangerous this was. That was when Hookfang had started flying into a sea stack. Hiccup saw it too and frantically got Toothless out of the way, but in the process they would have to take another route.

"Now he has to take the long way around," Astrid said in exasperation.

"True, but after seeing that burst of speed, I don't think that will be a problem," I replied confidently. And it looked like I was right. Sure enough Toothless managed to catch up with Hookfang on record time.

Toothless and Hookfang were now neck and neck. But that was when I noticed something changed in Hiccup's expression. Suddenly he noticed the look of worry in Snotlout's eyes, and what losing would bring to the young brute.

Now, Snotlout may be an ass, but there was a reason behind his attitude. I'd learned over the past few days that his father was just as bad, if not worse. Snotlout for whatever reason felt the need to be just like his father.

"Something's wrong," Fishlegs announced as Toothless suddenly began to slow down. To my surprise and relief, Hiccup pulled out of the race. The same Hiccup that I had grown to love was back.

"Snotlout comes down on the final stretch…." Mulch said excitedly. Hookfang saw the finish line banner and set it on fire just as they were about to cross it. "And Snotlout is the winner…"

"Woo-hoo!" Spitelout cheered as the crowd had looks of disappointment on their faces. Obviously they were hoping for a change in pace.

"… of the Thawfestival Games!" Mulch finished once Spitelout was done cheering.

"Now that's a Jorgenson!" Spitelout continued cheering. Snotlout actually looked stunned.

"We did it…. We did it! We _did_ it! I mean, of course we did…." Snotlout stopped himself as Hiccup and Toothless finally caught up.

"Nice flying, Snotlout," Hiccup congratulated him graciously.

"Yeah. You put up a good fight… but not good enough!" Snotlout laughed cheekily before running over to the stage with him. Stoick smiled as he came up to the two boys.

"It's been a spectacular Thawfest Games. Perhaps the best ever! These two young men have put on quite a good show. But alas, there can only be one champion," he announced as the drums began to roll. "The Thawfest dynasty continues. The winner and still champion, Snotlout!"

"We did it!" Snotlout cried to Hookfang. I smirked as he did a victory dance. Stoick smiled as he placed a medal around Snotlout's neck.

"You did your family proud," he praised before smiling warmly at Hiccup. Hiccup didn't need to be told that his father was proud of him. By now he was grinning from ear to ear, despite the loss.

"Snotlout! Snotlout! Oi! Oi! Oi!" Snotlout and Spitelout cheered as they walked away with their winnings.

"Hey, I saw what you did out there," I said with a sheepish grin. Hiccup turned and looked at me with a smirk before ruffling the back of his hair.

"Yeah, I lost, as usual," he replied with a shrug.

"No, you threw the race," I pointed out. "You let Snotlout win so that he wouldn't get in trouble with his dad."

"I-I have no idea what you're talking about, Alex," Hiccup began stuttering nervously. "Snotlout was the better Viking."

"No, Hiccup," I replied with a smile. "No one was a better Viking today than you." Before I knew what I was doing, I pulled him in for a kiss. When we pulled away I realized that we were both blushing again.

There's an old saying that I always liked to refer to during situations like this. '_Strength doesn't come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you thought you once couldn't_.' Yes, Hiccup lost. Again. But some things are more important than winning. Like being more than just a good friend.

Hiccup and I were with our dragons, watching with grins as Snotlout whooped, and his father hoisted him on his shoulders.

Even if that friend happens to be _that_ guy.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So this chapter was hard to write. I'm not even sure why, but it just was... anywho... Sorry for the long wait. On to review replies!<strong>

**silverwolvesarecool - I like the ring of that... Hiclex XD I don't know why though :P**

**69759 - That's good to know ^^ I usually play games like Pokemon, Spyro or other fun RPG games when I get the chance. I've never played Minecraft, though, but I will be getting an XBOX ONE so that might change :P**

**Cutie Kyuubi - Yeah, she could've just asked for help. But maybe she was panicking and didn't think about it at the time. I'm sure all she could think about was saving her parents.**

**FallenArcAngel16 - I'm glad you enjoyed it :) Things will definitely be awkward for a while until they finally realize they're actually a couple XD That's just how I like to write it out.**

**Alexa Twilight - Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it!**

**HYTTD Obsessed - I'm not sure about that... Honestly I've never really had the experience myself, so I don't know how that would turn out /:**

**Nightfire260 - Thank you! I'm glad that you think it's alright, because I wasn't too sure XD And that's kind of what I was steering at towards the beginning... it just took a while for things to take hold.**


	29. When Lightning Strikes

**Chapter Twenty Nine**

Living with dragons can have it's ups and downs. During a dangerous situation, you need to stay calm. Keep a level head.

Unfortunately for Vikings, that wasn't always easy. In their own way, they're very reasonable. But when a problem is being caused by something the Vikings don't understand, they lose all sense of reason. And that can be very dangerous.

Together Hiccup and I had come up with an ingenious idea for the dragons. Perches they could rest on around the village. There was one in my house that Spikes often used during the night. And once word got around soon everyone began to like the idea.

You see, dragons tend to rest on the roofs of people's homes. And unfortunately the wooden support beams can't really hold the extra weight. It's been causing problems where the homes would collapse, and the dragons would be at fault.

Over the next couple of days Vikings were building iron perches that could withstand the weight of a dragon. They placed the said perches throughout the village, and Astrid and Stormfly got to test them out. Stormfly squawked nervously as they approached the perches, as if she was afraid of getting hurt.

"It's okay girl," Astrid reassured her. "Take it easy." Stormfly landed gracefully on the perch, putting her entire weight on it. Everyone cheered while the twins just stared at the perch expectantly. Their hope of destruction was crushed as Stormfly took off.

"So, we built these things so that stuff wouldn't break?" Tuffnut demanded.

"I don't understand you people," Ruffnut added in disappointment.

"And they tricked us into helping them build them," Tuffnut added in an angry tone. "I feel so used… and sweaty." The two of them wandered off, dragging their hammers with them.

Later that night, Hiccup, Stoick, Gobber and I were celebrating our most recent success.

"Perches for dragons! Some of your best work," Stoick praised while smiling at us both. Then he lifted his mug and scowled in disgust. "Though we may have to move the one over the well," he added. He showed Gobber and Hiccup what was in the mug, while I politely declined before pushing my own away.

"The perches are just the beginning," Hiccup said, too excited to notice that he was about to take a sip out of his mug. Luckily Stoick noticed and stopped him just in time. "We could build landing areas for them."

"And maybe even stables in the caves around the village," I put in after remembering the blueprints in his room. "That way they don't have to sleep on the perches—" Stoick stopped us both with a chuckle.

"Easy you two," he told us. "Remember, Berk is still for people."

"Vikings before dragons," Gobber added. Toothless, who was eating a basket of fish, lifted his head and gave him a look of confusion. "Yeah, I said it. Deal with it."

That was when a rumbling sound followed from outside. It sounded like thunder, but I wasn't too sure. Out of fear, Toothless ran up the stairs. All of us looked outside just in time to see lightning strike one of the perches. Then the lightning started striking all of the others throughout the village.

"The lightning's hitting everywhere," Hiccup pointed out.

"It doesn't usually strike here," Stoick said thoughtfully.

"Thor must be angry," Gobber murmured. I looked at him skeptically before remembering once again that Vikings had multiple Gods. "The only time I remember lightning striking Berk—"

"Barnstat," both Gobber and Stoick said at the same time. Hiccup and I looked at them in confusion.

"Barn-who?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Jorgan Barnstat. A drifter sailed into town. He stole from widows and old men," Stoick explained.

"To punish him, Thor gave him a lightning bolt right to his helmet when he was fixing his mast on his ship to make an escape," Gobber added while pointing at a helmet pinned to the wall. Sure enough it had a nasty looking scorch mark on it.

"By the time Thor was finished with him, our whole fleet was on fire," Stoick continued for him.

"When we shipped him off Thor hasn't struck the island since," Gobber concluded the story.

"Threw him off the island? Pretty harsh," Hiccup said.

"Yeah, I'm still trying to figure out why Thor is so angry now," I admitted with a nod.

Lightning suddenly began hitting the homes and set them on fire. I spotted Snowfire sitting close to where lightning had struck and quickly shoved her out of the way, nearly getting struck in the process.

'_What is happening_?' she demanded as people started running away in terror.

"Are you alright?" I looked at Hiccup in surprise before nodding. Nothing was more exciting than nearly getting zapped.

"Snow, think you can put out those fires?" I asked after making sure that she was fine. Fortunately the lightning had hit the ground, leaving a nasty scorch mark on it like the helmet in Hiccup's house.

'_Of course_,' she retorted before taking off to help put them out.

"Gobber, organize a bucket brigade," Stoick ordered. "I'm going up to the Great Hall." The two of them ran off in different directions, Stoick headed for the Great Hall while Gobber grabbed buckets to help put out the fires.

Suddenly lightning struck nearby Toothless and it freaked him out. He let out a roar of terror and tried running from it.

"Toothless!" Hiccup yelled as lightning continued striking near his best dragon friend.

Snowfire landed next to me once she had put out a considerable number of fires. The lightning wasn't helping much as more buildings caught on fire. By now Gobber had managed to form a team of men to put the flames out in the village.

"He's got to be around here somewhere," I reassured Hiccup as we started looking for the Night Fury. For a dragon who couldn't fly, Toothless was still fast on his feet. The lightning had really scared him, and understandably so.

It didn't take me long to find the other teens as they were admiring the destruction caused by the lightning storm.

"Yeah, now that's what I'm talking about," Tuffnut said as another bolt of lightning hit the island.

"I've always liked Thor," Ruffnut added with a smile. I always did too, but preferably the one from the Marvel comics. This was just plain nuts.

"Ah, I love these storms!" Snotlout exclaimed as Hookfang landed with Fishlegs and Meatlug. "When it rains, I cancel bath night and stand outside with nothing but a sponge and a bar of soap."

"We know, the village has had meetings about it," Fishlegs said with a roll of his eyes.

"That's more information than I needed to know," I muttered crossly. Snotlout just smirked mischievously before leaning close with a raised eyebrow.

"What, you like what you see?" he asked. Faster than he could say those words I smacked him upright in the nose. Snotlout held back a cry of surprise as the others snickered at him. That was when Hiccup approached us, gasping for breath just as Astrid arrived on Stormfly.

"I-I need your help, I need to find Toothless!" he said, looking more than just worried.

"I just saw him run by the Great Hall," Astrid replied in a helpful tone. I nodded to her before getting into Snowfire's saddle, helping Hiccup up in the process.

Astrid led the way on Stormfly, and sure enough we reached the Great Hall in no time. Stoick was on the steps, helping the Vikings get to safety while he carried two injured villagers on his shoulders. Once he reached the top he gently put them down.

"Don't worry men, you're going to be alright," he reassured them.

"It's striking throughout the entire village! It's like we're under siege!" exclaimed Mulch.

"I've never seen Thor this angry," Bucket put in.

Stormfly and Snowfire landed near the steps down below. Sure enough Toothless was sitting on a perch in front of the Great Hall. Toothless than flew off just as lightning was about to hit the perch he was resting on.

"Toothless!" Hiccup cried.

'_The lightning was about to hit the perch_,' Snowfire told us as the Vikings gathered outside to watch.

"Did you all see that?" Oh great, my least favorite Viking in the world, Mildew. Lightning continued striking Toothless as he jumped from perch to perch, trying to get away. It was obvious the poor guy was terrified, but it seemed like the lightning wouldn't leave him alone.

"Look, the lightning is following him," Mulch told everyone. Toothless leaped over to Hiccup as he jumped off of Snowfire's back.

"Toothless," Hiccup gasped as he laid his arm over Toothless' head.

"Don't you all understand? Thor is mad at all of us and I'll tell you why," Mildew began as he got everyone's attention. "Because of him!" I was really tempted to knock the moron out as he pointed his staff at Toothless and Hiccup. "As you all know; the Night Fury is the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself! We let him live among us and now we pay the price!"

'_That is just a silly human rumor_,' Snowfire snapped.

"Well, it did seem like the lightning struck the dragon," Mulch replied hesitantly.

"Yes! Right at the dragon! A lightning storm of which we've never seen," Mildew ranted on. And unfortunately the villagers were nodding in agreement. "There is but one thing to do…. Banish the Night Fury! It's the only way. Thor is angry at us because of the Night Fury. You all saw it!"

"What? No, That's ridiculous," Hiccup protested

"Yeah, Toothless has been around for over a year now and none of this happened," I pointed out, still feeling miffed with Mildew.

"If we don't act now…. Well, need I remind you of Barnstat?" Mildew rambled on, ignoring us. The other Vikings looked at one another as if debating his words.

"You're right, all of you," Stoick suddenly said, pushing his way through the crowd. "Thor is angry, but I don't believe he's angry with Toothless."

"That's right! Have you all forgotten what Toothless has done for the village?" Hiccup asked in a hopeful voice.

"Yeah, he's the one who helped take down the Red Death," I put in. "Not to mention he helped stop the war against dragons."

"Well than, what do you suppose Thor's angry at?" Mildew asked. He was clearly annoyed with the fact that most people were standing up to Toothless. The Night Fury in question crooned and rubbed the back of Hiccup's hands as an uncomfortable silence fell over them.

"I don't presume you know what goes on in Thor's mind, Mildew," Stoick replied. "But we will find a way to soothe his anger."

"For all we know Thor might have woken up on the wrong side of the bed," Hiccup pointed out. "Even Gods have their bad days."

I rubbed the back of Snowfire's neck as a thought just occurred to me. The Vikings would never believe me, but I did know the reason behind all of this lightning. Metal attracted lightning and conducted it. Something I learned in science class but never really bothered looking into.

Maybe Hiccup would be a little more willing to listen. Though now probably wasn't the best time to tell him.

"Well, for all our sakes you better be right," Mildew grumbled before walking away.

"You sure he's alright?" I asked once the crowd dispersed. Toothless still looked a bit shaken after tonight's events. His eyes weren't as wide as they had been before, but that didn't mean he wouldn't run off when the lightning struck again.

"I don't see any obvious signs of injury," Hiccup replied after double checking.

"We'll find a way to stop the lightning," I murmured reassuringly. Hopefully there would be a way to show that it was the metal attracting the lightning. Otherwise Toothless might be in more trouble from the villagers than the lightning itself.

...

'_These storms are becoming more annoying than anything else_,' Snowfire mumbled as she looked longingly at the darkened sky.

"Yeah, I could barely get out of my house last night without running from the lightning," Fishlegs said in agreement.

It was early in the morning and the clouds were still surrounding Berk. But luckily the lightning didn't seem to strike anywhere near the village. Which led me to my next problem: How was I supposed to convince them that metal attracted lightning?

Last night I had watched the perches and realized they were what attracted it all. The perches were like a lightning rod, and the taller they were the worst it got.

Meanwhile Hiccup had gathered all of his friends to see if they could come up with a solution to their problem. I knew that Hiccup was worried about Toothless, and understandably so. Mildew's statement had riled up the entire village.

"Another storm is coming," Hiccup muttered. "And we need to figure out a way to calm him down without sending Toothless away."

"Thor tore a hole in the Great Hall. Maybe he's hungry," Tuffnut suggested nonchalantly.

"In my world the history books talked about old tribes performing ritual sacrifices to appease the Gods," I murmured to no one in particular. No need to get into detail with those gruesome stories. Some tribes even ate the human sacrifices because they believed it would give them strength. I shuddered at the idea.

"Well, you're right about making Thor happy," Hiccup said after giving me a weird look. "But what do you give the God of Thunder and Lightning?"

Oh I desperately wanted to shout out randomly '_Poptarts_'. There was just something about the Marvel universe that made me want to say that. But I kept my mouth shut as Fishlegs made the same suggestion I did previously.

"Let's sacrifice Tuffnut!" Ruffnut said excitedly. Tuffnut didn't seem to hear her as he looked away.

"Okay," he finally said after a moment of silence. "What time should I be there? There better be fire involved."

"No! No one is getting sacrificed," Hiccup groaned after facepalming at Tuffnut's response.

"Not yet anyway," Snotlout shrugged.

"I had an aunt who was cursed by Odin once," Astrid said. "She had to pay tribute to him by sailing to the edge of the Earth."

"Did it work?" Fishlegs asked hopefully. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

"I don't know," Astrid replied with a shrug. "I guess she couldn't find it because she kept showing up in the wrong direction."

"You know, if Thor's gonna be mad at anyone, it should be Alex," Snotlout suddenly announced. To which we all looked at him in disbelief. "Hey, all I'm sayin' is she brought a White Terror and isn't even from here."

To which I just rolled my eyes as Snowfire whacked her tail across his face. Snotlout's face twisted in a scowl as he grumbled to himself.

"The Gods have never been angry at anyone in my family," Fishlegs boasted. "Knock on wood," he suddenly added while knocking on the wooden steps of the building we were standing next to. "Hop on one foot," he added with a hop, "slap a Jorgenson."

Fishlegs held out a hand and got ready to slap Snotlout when instead he just poked the brawnier kid, giggling like a little kid just got caught stealing candy. Snotlout just glared at him and shoved him to the ground.

"Well, if I were Thor, I'd build a statue of myself," Snotlout proclaimed after climbing onto Hookfang's head and had the Nightmare lift him in the air. "Of myself, Snotlout, as Thor!" Snotlout flexed his muscles while grinning like an idiot.

"You _do_ realize we're trying to make Thor happy, right?" Astrid asked after shaking off her disgust.

"Exactly!" God, even I felt like I was going to be sick when Snotlout kissed his muscles. Astrid made a gurgling sound before turning around and covering her mouth.

"I think I just threw up in my mouth," she groaned.

"Actually that's not a bad idea," Hiccup suddenly said.

"It's not an idea, it's a reflex," I muttered after giving her a sympathetic look.

"What? No! I-I mean the statue!" Hiccup said. "And not a statue of Snotlout," he added when he noticed our pale faces. Snotlout only glared at him when he said that. "Of Thor."

"Hm…. Berk has never had a statue for Thor," Fishlegs replied thoughtfully.

"Well than it's high time we build one," Hiccup concluded.

"Wait, are you making this statue out of iron?" I suddenly asked.

"Yeah, why?" I just shrugged before rushing off to help the others. Maybe this would help explain my theory. All I needed to do was put a piece of wood in the statue and see if that would attract the lightning.

We spent the rest of the day working on the statue. After gathering as much iron as we could it was welded into different parts that would eventually connect into one giant statue. The dragons did their best by helping out. Snowfire had managed to melt and cool down the medal long enough to get it in the perfect shape.

It was well into the afternoon by the time we were all almost finished. Fishlegs was the one working on the pants. Hiccup stopped by to see how much work we'd gotten done over the last few hours. The head was probably the hardest part, seeing as it was a round object.

"Toothless isn't going anywhere," I reassured him.

"I sure hope you're right," Hiccup murmured as another lightning storm approached. "Okay guys, we better start welding these parts together!" he called.

Once the pieces were welded together, the statue was placed on a wooden platform and covered up in a bunch of rags woven together. The reveal would hopefully keep the Berkians busy while I tried to figure out a way to prove it was the medal attracting lightning. And sure enough everyone had gathered to see the revealing.

"Attention! Attention!" Hiccup stood on the platform in front of the statue, gaining everyone's curious attention. "Okay, so I know we aren't exactly Thor's favorite people right now. But I'm confident that this beautiful statue will go a long way toward getting us on his good grace." The villagers nodded in agreement as he paused. "And now, without further ado…."

Hiccup and Toothless pulled down the rags to reveal the large statue we had all worked on. Snowfire narrowed her eyes at the sight and huffed in annoyance.

'_Why not build a statue of a dragon_?' she asked.

"Because dragons would be a lot harder to build," I replied while patting her on the head.

"Well done," Stoick praised in amazement. "Thor will appreciate this tribute and smile upon us again." Everyone cheered in agreement and walked away. Everyone that was except for Mildew.

"Do you really think this statue is enough to appease Thor?" Mildew sneered. "He won't be appeased, not while you still allow that Night Fury to live among us! Your fools! All of you!"

'_I would watch your tongue, human_,' Snowfire snapped. Mildew flinched immediately at her harsh words before we walked away. Getting caught up in a fight wasn't going to get us anywhere.

...

I was back at my place later that night, working on a way to prove my theory. So far it seemed like nothing happening outside was proving anything. In fact the Vikings only seemed to get angrier with the fact that lightning constantly hit the island.

Spikes climbed onto the small desk that I'd set up at one end of the place. It wasn't anything like Hiccup's desk, but it was enough for me to read books or work on plans.

"Did you know that lightning is attracted to metal?" I asked no one in particular. "And that it can conduct electricity?" As if to prove my point, the perch in my house suddenly sparked as lightning struck nearby. Spikes jumped in surprise at the sudden attack and ran under the bed.

_'Why would lightning be attracted to this_?' Snowfire sniffed the metal curiously once the dangers had passed.

"Don't know," I replied with a shrug. "Technically it's not actually attracted to the metal. But for some reason the metal can somehow block the electricity or alter it's course." I may like science but I don't know enough about it.

Spikes suddenly jumped from the bed to the door, scratching on it until a frantic knock sounded. Before I could get the door open, Toothless had nearly tacked me to the ground in order to hide in the corner.

"Sorry, about that," Hiccup gasped after helping me up.

"What's going on?" I asked when I realized something was wrong. Sure enough I could hear the angry shout of villagers as they carried pitchforks and torches. And the lightning didn't seem to end despite the statue we built earlier.

"I needed a place to hide Toothless," Hiccup explained once I closed the door. Spikes had already climbed on to my shoulder as Snowfire greeted Toothless with a crooning sound. The Night Fury just gave her a pitiful look.

"Hiding him here might not be the best idea," I admitted guiltily. "The villagers might look here first."

'_Just let them try and pass me_,' Snowfire hissed with outrage. '_These humans are too gullible for their own good_!'

"What does she mean by that?" Hiccup asked while giving me a skeptical look.

"She means that…. I don't think it's Toothless attracting the lightning," I explained with a look at Toothless. "I think it has something to do with all of the metal on the island." Hiccup just folded his arms and looked at me thoughtfully this time as I continued, "think about it… none of this started until after we put those perches around the village, which are made of _metal_. And the lightning is only getting worse, because that statue is made of _metal_."

"You know, that actually makes sense." He studied the tail that he made for Toothless before his eyes lit up with realization. "Lightning is attracted to metal…. That would explain why the lightning was attracted to Toothless!"

"Do you think the villagers would believe that?" I asked warily. Something told me they weren't in a hurry to listen to such a story. Especially if it meant disproving their belief in Thor's anger. Hiccup was ready to answer when even he showed signs of doubt.

"I need to get Toothless off the island," he suddenly murmured. "He won't be safe until than."

"You're going with him?" I couldn't imagine Toothless making it on his own. Such a journey could kill him. Especially with these storms all over the island threatening the village.

"I'm not going to let him do this alone," Hiccup said in a determined voice. "I'll be back…. When they realize that Toothless isn't the reason behind these storms."

"You'll be safe on Snowfire's island." My heart sank at the thought of having to watch him leave. Snowfire just gave a small nod of agreement when I looked at her questioningly. Hiccup gave me a kiss before returning to Toothless' side.

"I promise I'll be back," he added just as the sound of an angry mob followed. I watched helplessly while fighting back the urge to throw Mildew into the ocean. Or better yet use him as a lightning rod.

At that moment the angry mob reached the house, pounding away at the door. "I'll hold them off as long as I can," I promised. "Just make sure you get out safely." Hiccup nodded after climbing into Toothless' saddle. Once they were gone I opened the door to find the angry mob glaring at me.

"Where is he?" The voice of Mildew made me suddenly regret opening the door. Soon enough he shoved his way through the crowd until he was glaring down at me. "Where's that boy? And more importantly where's his dragon?" he demanded.

"I don't know, Mildew," I replied in a bitter voice. "But you got your wish. Hiccup and Toothless are gone."

"Oh, bah! Find that Night Fury, all of you!" Mildew snapped.

"One of these days…." I stopped myself from throwing a volley of swears at the old bastard. Mildew was already off rallying more villagers to join in the search.

"Alex!" Astrid's voice cut through the silence as she ran over to where the mob had once been. "Where's Hiccup and Toothless?"

"Gone," I replied, trying to keep my voice from faltering. Astrid's eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at the mob searching through the woods. "They left in the hopes of proving Mildew wrong."

"I can't believe Mildew would go this far," Astrid muttered. Snowfire had chosen that moment to join us, and was watching us both carefully. I was about to say something when I stopped myself just in time. "There has to be a way to stop them."

Before either of us could say anything else, the sound of the angry mob could be heard from the docks. My eyes widened in horror when I spotted Toothless in the distance being dragged away on a cart, covered in chains.

'_I will rip them all to shreds_!' Snowfire suddenly roared in fury at the sight.

"No, don't!" I stopped her before she took off in a fit of rage. If it was anyone else I would have let her destroy them. But these people were part of Berk, whether they wanted to show it or not. "If anyone is going to prove them wrong, it's Hiccup."

Snowfire just glared at me before we headed to the forge. Astrid only looked at us in confusion, but to my surprise she followed. And sure enough there he was, holding on to a metal spear.

"Hiccup!" My heart nearly skipped a beat when I saw what he was holding on to.

"They've got Toothless, and they're about to float him out to sea!" Astrid cried.

"I know," Hiccup replied with a grim expression. "Why do you think I have this?" He held up the spear in question.

"Ooh, tough one. How many questions do we get, five?" Tuffnut asked.

"Oh God." I couldn't help but smirk when Hiccup and I said that at the same time. Then he grabbed my arm, "Alex, fly me to the docks."

...

Snowfire flew high above the docks, avoiding the lightning strikes until she swooped past and knocked aside the angry mob. Hiccup was still holding on to his spear while Snowfire circled the docks. Once she landed he jumped off.

"Stop!" he shouted loudly enough for everyone to hear. "You could get rid of Toothless. You could throw him off the edge of the world, but it's not going to stop the lightning from destroying Berk." The Vikings looked at Hiccup skeptically before whispering amongst themselves.

"It's the metal," he went on and raised the spear. "The lightning is hitting the metal. Just think about it. We've never had lightning storms like these until we put up those perches. That statue, right? And they're all made of metal."

"Oh, bah!" Mildew sneered while smacking away the spear with his staff. "Have you ever heard anything so insane?"

Agreements rang throughout the crowd, and by now I was seething with anger while Hiccup ran over to Toothless and lifted his tail after giving me the spear. "Y-You see? This is where the lightning struck Toothless. On this connecting rod… this metal connecting rod!"

I desperately wanted to shout that he was telling them the truth. But I kept my mouth shut, realizing I'd probably just swear up a storm and end up in the same fate as Toothless. And of course still they didn't believe him, despite the obvious proof.

"Look, if you don't believe me, I'll prove it!" He quickly ran up to me after I handed back the spear before climbing on to Snowfire's saddle. "Fly me up."

"Hiccup, are you sure you know what you're doing?" I asked as we flew up to the mast of the ship. "You do realize what happens when lightning hits you, right?" I already had a hunch I knew what he was up to.

"_Sure_…? Uh, that's a strong word. It's really more of a hunch," he replied before jumping onto the mast. My eyes narrowed skeptically. "I'll be fine," he reassured me. "Go!"

'_He will be fine_,' Snowfire hummed as she flew down from the mast. I looked up uneasily as both Gobber and Stoick tried convincing Hiccup to stop this madness. '_A stubborn hatchling indeed._'

"You'll see for yourselves," Hiccup said as he lifted the spear. "When I attach this spear to the top of the mast, the lightning will be drawn to—" He never got to finish his sentence. A stray bolt of lightning had suddenly surged towards him as he had the spear lifted high in the air.

"Hiccup!" Stoick yelled as my eyes widened in horror.

Hiccup had lost consciousness, and was falling towards the water down below. Snowfire was about to lung for him when Toothless broke free from his restraints and jumped into the ocean after his rider.

My heart was racing with worry as everyone looked over the ledge to watch for signs of life. Time seemed to slow down as Toothless finally emerged from the water with Hiccup clamped gently in his mouth. Carefully Toothless dragged him over to the docks and crooned in concern.

"Hiccup," I gasped when I realized too late what had happened. I should have warned him that something like this might happen.

"Son…." Stoick rasped as he held Hiccup in his arms.

...

The next day found myself waiting at Hiccup's house. After taking him to Gothi she had reassured us that he would live. The lightning hadn't struck him in the heart, otherwise the wound could have been fatal.

Finally, after sitting there for a few awkward minutes alone with Stoick, Gobber had said that he was awake. I let out a sigh of relief as I followed them up the stairs to see Toothless running over to greet me.

"It's good to see you too," I laughed as the Night Fury gave me an affectionate lick.

"My boy," Stoick said as he lifted Hiccup off his feet. "You took a lightning bolt to the head," he explained before setting his son down and patting him gently on the back.

"Just like Barnstat! Except we won't be throwing you off the island," Gobber put in.

Neither men could continue as I rushed over and gave Hiccup a hug. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!" I muttered after pulling apart. "You should've warned me what you were going to do," I added in an accusing tone.

"Yeah, but than you might've stopped me," he replied with a sheepish grin. "So everyone knows that Thor isn't angry with Toothless?" he asked when Stoick let out an uncomfortable cough.

"They do now," he replied.

"Until we figure out why Thor is angry at metal," Gobber added, "we'll all be walking on eggshells."

Hiccup and I exchanged knowing looks before shrugging. Vikings were still Vikings, and it didn't look like they were going to believe my theory any time soon. We walked down the stairs and outside to see the statue and perches were being taken down.

"Oh, we worked so hard on the statue," Hiccup sighed. "Kind of a shame we have to just scrap it for parts." Stoick placed a hand on Hiccup's shoulder and looked down at him.

"Well, maybe we don't have to. Why don't you take it to one of the highest points on the island and leave it there?" he suggested.

"Good idea, chief!" Tuffnut's voice cut in as he and Snotlout approached us. "Huh, would've thought of it myself, but I'm not the chief."

"Oh, we'll handle it for you," Snotlout promised.

Snotlout took off with Hookfang, the twins and Barf and Belch to lift the statue. Snowfire flew alongside Toothless to keep an eye on their work. And I wasn't surprised to see them drop the statue right in front of Mildew's house.

Mildew walked out just in time to see the statue right in front of him. I tried not to smirk as we flew away, hearing him faintly shout that we'd pay for this.

"Um, I'm not sure that's what my dad had in mind," Hiccup muttered.

"Hey, that's the way I understood it," Snotlout replied with a cheeky smile.

'_For once, I agree with him_,' Snowfire hummed in amusement as we flew on. I couldn't help but grin and pat her on the neck.

For the rest of the day Vikings had arrived at Hiccup's house offering baskets of gifts that consisted of bread and smoked fish for Toothless. One family had stopped by, and their little girl offered Toothless a fish and patted him on the nose.

Vikings may be impossible to convince, but when they're proven wrong, they tend to go a little overboard. Hopefully they've learned their lesson and won't jump to conclusions next time.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Somewhat shorter chapter this time :) But nonetheless, it was fun to write. I'm really enjoying writing these chapters ^^ I may do a few one-shot chapters once I'm finished with the first season before delving into the second one. It all depends on how things go. But anywho, on to review replies!<strong>

**silverwolvesarecool - XD I wouldn't have had the guts to say it :P Not sure why though considering it is my story ^^ And don't worry, I will be explaining what happened to Alex's father soon enough and what happened between them. The whole shoulder thing is more psychological than anything else. It was definitely a traumatic experience for her.**

**69759 - Wow, that must be tough! I've tried writing on my iPad, and it isn't easy. I love my MacBook ^^ And wow, those are a lot of video games! I'm only into a few so far... hopefully the XBOX will change that :P**

**Nightfire260 - Thanks! It usually takes about a day for me to write them, but I usually write ahead of time. This time though I didn't get the chance, which is why the chapter was a day late. I may do that in one of the one-shots I write in the future :)**

**HTTYD Obsessed - I think everyone is curious about him now :P He isn't on Berk, but I can't give you much more details without giving away spoilers. I'm not sure about the whole one-shot idea, if I do write one it will likely have to be rated M due to what he's done /:**


	30. What Flies Beneath

**Chapter Thirty**

* * *

><p><em>"I've seen life through the eyes of a different soul, I left by past so my future would be under control, Now I've got nothin' standin' in my way I gave it all away..." I Feel So Alive, Capital Kings<em>

* * *

><p>Everyone has a past. Even dragons can have a past. And sometimes that past comes back to haunt them. Unfortunately I was prone to having nightmares of my past. But recently my nightmares have been getting a bit more… dangerous.<p>

I don't even know how to describe them. All I knew is every night so far I've woken up gasping for breath. Three times already Snowfire had been more than concerned and tried waking me up. I knew she meant well, but it did get annoying after a while.

The last dream had been my most bizarre yet. It started out as my usual nightmare, but than the ground had started shaking. I woke up eventually to find that the ground actually _was_ shaking. I couldn't tell whether or not it was an actual earthquake. But something told me I wasn't the only one to notice it.

Once I was dressed and ready I walked outside to see a gaping hole in the middle of the plaza. Everyone else was gathered around it, either staring in horror or in awe. I spotted Hiccup and Toothless leaning over the hole curiously.

"What the heck made this?" I asked as Snowfire easily leaped over it to their side. Her movement had caused some of the villagers to jump in surprise, all the while she was humming in amusement at their reactions.

"I'm not sure," Hiccup replied in an uneasy voice. Just as he said that, Toothless suddenly leaned back and let out a roar. "Whoa, whoa, easy bud! It's just a hole," Hiccup tried calming Toothless down as the Night Fury glared at it.

"It's not just a hole, it's like an underground village!" Bucket's voice echoed from down the hole. We all looked down in time to see him inside, running around like a kid at the candy shop. Only a guy with a bucket on his head would be excited about this. "Sorry Mulch…. But I think I finally found it…. My happy place!" Bucket stopped short when dirt and soil started flinging him out of the hole. He landed on the ground and looked around in shock.

"Are you alright, Bucket?" Stoick asked.

"I'm not so sure anymore," Bucket replied after getting up.

"What happened?"

"Something pushed me out," Bucket said fearfully. "Something's down there. Something big."

Toothless peered down the hole again and bared his teeth in defiance. I looked over just in time to watch him leap into the hole. That was when we all started hearing a strange whispering sound. It was the kind of noise that made the hair along my arms stand on end.

"Uh, is anyone else hearing that?" I asked warily. It definitely wasn't Snowfire. In fact her eyes were narrowed as she looked down at the tunnels.

"Whatever it is, it's giving me the willies," Gobber replied in a nervous voice.

Suddenly a giant green-spiked dragon erupted from the hole underneath us. My eyes widened in horror when I recognized it. The same dragon Alvin had kept on his island. It had an eel-like body and a large head, with a mouth full of teeth perfect for gnawing through rock.

"Whoa! Look at the size of that thing!" Snotlout gasped in an awed voice.

"Do I have to?" Fishlegs asked.

"Dragons, now!" Astrid yelled.

I didn't need to be told twice to get on Snowfire. That thing was almost as big as her. With the ego and guts to attack anything that stood in it's way. The dragon turned it's large head towards us, and a shiver ran through me when I saw it's eyes.

More like lack of eyes. It was blind, just like the one Alvin had.

"Uh, I don't like the way it's eyeballing me," Snotlout said nervously.

"Don't worry, it's not just you," Fishlegs replied.

"Thanks, a big relief!" Snotlout muttered with a roll of his eyes.

Just as Snotlout said that, the dragon burrowed it's way into the ground again and disappeared.

"What was that?" Astrid asked.

"Whatever it was, I want one!" Tuffnut exclaimed.

"If I had to guess, I'd say it was a Whispering Death," Fishlegs replied.

"Whoa, great name," Tuffnut said in awe. "Much better than the Hideous Zippleback."

"Where'd it go? Why's it here? What's it going to do with us? Why aren't you slapping me to snap me out of this?" Bucket rambled on as he fell into a wheel barrel.

"Because I'm scared too, Bucket," Mulch replied as he too hid in a barrel.

Then the Whispering Death erupted from the ground once more, sending a spray of dirt all over. Another hole was created where it tore through the ground, and it turned to glare at us all.

"Ah, it looks angry," Gobber began in a nervous tone. "Alex, why don't you try seeing if you can bond with that thing, calm it down."

I bit the bottom of my lip as the dragon turned towards my direction. Snowfire's wings were flared in a defensive position as she snarled at it. The air around us had suddenly gotten colder, and I realized too late that she was controlling it.

"Easy, I don't think that's going to work," I whispered. Gobber didn't seem to notice the double meaning in my words.

"Okay, uh, Fishlegs, what do we know about the Whispering Death?" Hiccup asked after noticing my uneasiness.

"Boulder Class, razor sharp teeth, incredibly strong, hunts from underground," Fishlegs replied. There was nothing more reassuring than listening to a walking encyclopedia.

"Now I really want one!" Tuffnut said in excitement.

"So how do we deal with this thing?" Snotlout demanded.

"Stand back, everyone!" Stoick suddenly shouted. We all looked up in time to see Thornado flying above us. "Thornado's got something to say to this beast!"

Thornado fired a sonic blast at the Whispering Death. But it didn't even seem scathed. In fact, the attack only made it angrier.

"I don't think it's got it's listenin' ears on," Gobber yelled.

"We need to get that thing away from the village," I said as the Whispering Death roared in defiance.

'_That creature is repulsive_!' Snowfire hissed in annoyance. I couldn't help but nod in agreement. The Whispering Death was one of the few dragons that had nearly killed me during my time on Outcast Island. There was a reason I didn't like that thing.

We took off to join Stoick and Thornado, but it seemed like Toothless had other ideas as he suddenly appeared from the tunnel. He let out a warning growl to the other dragons, gesturing his head towards the Whispering Death.

"What did he say?" I couldn't help but ask.

'_This is his fight, and his fight alone_,' Snowfire replied, sounding more worried than before.

The Whispering Death's spikes stood on end when it suddenly looked in Toothless' direction. For a dragon that was blind it seemed to know exactly where Toothless was by picking up his scent.

"Toothless!" Hiccup cried when the Whispering Death lunged at him.

But Toothless had faster reflexes, and caught the dragon by it's tail before dragging it to the ground. The Whispering Death flew back in the air and hovered for a few seconds. Toothless fired three plasma blasts at which the Whispering Death was able to dodge. Toothless was about to take off when he realized that he couldn't fly. My heart was racing with unease when the Whispering Death flew higher, seeing this as a competition.

"Toothless can't fly without me. He's a sitting duck," Hiccup murmured while watching the scene unfold.

"And I have no doubt that dragon would like the taste of that," I added in a grim voice. Stoick landed on the ground and ran over to Gobber.

"Gobber, man the catapults, and when that thing is clear of Toothless, fire!" he ordered after getting off of Thornado.

'_Humans cannot interfere with this fight_,' Snowfire snapped. Despite the anger in her voice, I could also hear the worry.

"Dad, wait!" Hiccup said as he ran over to Toothless' side. "Just let me help you, bud." But Toothless only shoved him over, knocking him down in the process. "What? Toothless, what's…. What's wrong?"

Toothless' only response was doing a double-take with a growl at the Whispering Death before he took off after it again. It was a warning growl. Toothless was warning us to stay out of his way. Now I understood what was happening.

"What was that about?" Astrid asked as I helped Hiccup back on his feet.

"I have no idea," was all he could say before the Whispering Death let out a roar of fury. He swung his spine-like tail, with the spikes sticking out just like a Nadder's would. To my surprise and horror, the spikes had smacked right into Toothless' back leg.

"Gobber!" Stoick yelled.

Gobber launched a boulder from the catapult, hitting the Whispering Death square in the head. The dragon recoiled in response and growled at the catapult in question. Gobber fired another boulder, hitting the dragon once again in the face. Then suddenly the Whispering Death retreating down into the hole just as the sunlight fell on it, carving a new path underground.

Hiccup ran over to Toothless' side while I checked for signs of injury. After that attack it was obvious the Whispering Death had a score to settle with Toothless.

"Ah man, you're hurt," Hiccup sighed after noticing the spike on Toothless' back leg. Toothless growled in response, but his gaze softened when he looked at Hiccup as his rider pulled the spike out. I watched with worry as Toothless ran away the moment the spike was out, right past the Great Hall and straight towards the direction of the Whispering Death. "Toothless, wait!"

"Easy, something tells me there's more to this than we realize." I put a hand on Hiccup's shoulder as he watched Toothless disappear.

"Where's he going?" Astrid asked out of curiosity.

"Probably running away to lick his wounds," Snotlout said in a mocking tone before laughing.

"It's not funny," Hiccup muttered. "He could have been hurt. He can't fly, remember?"

"And who's fault is that?" Snotlout retorted.

"You seriously did not just go there," I snapped, glaring at him.

"I calls 'em as I sees 'em." Before Snotlout could get another word in I shoved him aside. The glare that followed was priceless.

"Uh, does anybody else wanna talk about what just happened back there?" Fishlegs asked.

"Uh, dragon fight?" Tuffnut said with a shrug. "Just another day on Berk."

"Uh, not really," Fishlegs retorted. "It seems like there was way more to it than that."

"He's right. The Whispering Death singled out Toothless," Hiccup put in.

"Not to mention Snowfire said this wasn't a fight humans should be involved in," I added. "Think about it, he didn't even let you help him in the fight." The others looked at me skeptically, but Hiccup nodded in understanding.

"Okay, but why didn't he?" he asked.

'_Dragons will fight to the death if it involves a grudge_,' Snowfire chimed in as she sat behind me.

"Wait, are we gonna be tested on this?" Tuffnut suddenly asked in confusion. "Because I am completely confused."

"Hey, don't look at me," Ruffnut said defensively. Toothless was still looking off in the Whispering Death's direction. I suddenly had a feeling that this wasn't the last we saw of that dragon.

...

Later that night I was patching up the wound on Toothless' leg, using the same remedy used on his tail. So far he hadn't lightened up since the Whispering Death incident.

"Thanks again," Hiccup sighed once I was finished. "I really wish he could tell me what happened out there today."

"The only known dragons capable of that are White Terrors," I pointed out. Snowfire had been more than reluctant to stay outside. I tried not to laugh when Stoick remained firm on his 'one dragon rule'.

The sound of footsteps signaled someone coming upstairs. Toothless only jumped at the sound and let out a low growl. I'd never seen him so tense before. I wish Toothless would calm down, at least enough to let his wounds heal.

"Whoa, easy bud," Hiccup tried reassuring his best friend. "It's just my dad."

"How's our wounded warrior?" Stoick asked.

"Just a simple flesh wound," I replied after giving the bandages a final look. "He'll recover quickly. I've seen reptiles lose limbs and survive to tell the tale."

That much was true. Despite the panic of when I first woke up in this world, I still remembered a few things from it. Reptiles were incredible creatures just for the fact that they could survive so many life-threatening events.

"But he's still on edge," Hiccup added worriedly.

"Don't worry Toothless," Stoick reassured him. "I think we showed that dragon a thing or two of what Berk's capable of. I don't think he'll be coming back any time soon. At least I hope not."

"Yeah, me too," I murmured anxiously.

I remembered what Snowfire had said about dragons holding grudges. If what she said was true, than this was just the beginning.

"Toothless should be fine as long as he doesn't do anything that could open up his wound again," I added after rubbing his neck affectionately. Toothless only crooned before glaring out of the window again. "I think we both need rest after today."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Hiccup sighed in agreement. "It's a good thing you know about those herbs."

"Thank my mom," I replied with a sheepish grin before kissing him goodnight. "She's the one who taught me."

There were a lot of things that my mom had taught me. And I still missed her.

I shook the thought aside, knowing full well there was something much bigger out there to worry about. And that something had to do with the grudge Toothless was holding against the Whispering Death.

...

"Toothless is missing," Hiccup sighed as he leaned against the wall. All of us were gathered in the arena as he explained what had happened last night. "I'm willing to bet that he went after the Whispering Death."

"Maybe Toothless just went for a morning flight…. Oh that's right, he can't!" This time both Astrid and I were glaring at the obnoxious Jorgenson boy.

"Seriously?" Astrid demanded and walked towards him before getting ready to throw a well deserved punch. "You're going there again? Now?" Hiccup stopped her and looked at us.

"We have to find the Whispering Death," he snapped. "If we find that, we'll find Toothless."

"What do we do if we find the Whispering Death?" Fishlegs asked fearfully.

"Can you bond with it?" Hiccup turned and looked at me hopefully, but I only shook my head.

"Alvin already tried it out on me," I explained warily. "Believe me when I say that it's not possible." I didn't miss the look of anger flashing in his eyes at the mention of Alvin. What happened on Outcast island wasn't something either of us would forget anytime soon.

"Is there anything in the Book of Dragons that can help us?" Hiccup asked after taking a deep breath.

Fishlegs opened the book and started scanning the pages again. I'm surprised he hasn't memorized it yet. I've seen him reading the thing more than a dozen times at the Great Hall.

"It can shoot razor sharp spines from any part of it's body," he read out loud.

"And how's that supposed to help?" Astrid asked.

"Well it would help if we stayed far, far away from it," Fishlegs replied.

"Or we can go near him and use Ruffnut as a human shield," Tuffnut suggested. Ruffnut kicked him in the kneecap for that comment. "Owe, my kneecap! That's new…. I like it."

"This dragon has to have a weakness," Hiccup said thoughtfully.

"Actually no," Fishlegs corrected him. "The book says 'No known weaknesses'."

"Heh, I really love this thing," Tuffnut said with a smirk.

"The book said no _known_ weaknesses, right?" I asked after giving it some thought. "The dragon's blind; which means that maybe there's something to with light in there. I'm sure that he spends most of his time underground."

'_Even a dragon has their weaknesses_,' Snowfire pointed out to no one in particular. And of course she would never admit hers. Though I had a feeling it had to do with her pride.

"Can we go now?" Hiccup asked after climbing into Snowfire's saddle. "We don't know how much time we have." Snowfire simply rolled her eyes before helping me up.

"Don't worry," I reassured him. "We'll find Toothless."

With that being said, we took off in search of the Whispering Death. It wasn't hard to miss the trails that it left. A rocky snake-like line was left on the Earth for all to see where the Whispering Death went. And that ridged line led towards the forest.

Hiccup was still hopeful that the Whispering Death could be trained. But after what happened on Outcast Island, I knew that it wouldn't be easy. On top of it the Whispering Death still gave me nightmares. The one that nearly bit off my head was traumatic enough.

"There, down below!" Hiccup pointed towards another gaping hole leading into complete darkness. We landed around it, the dragons shuffling around nervously at the hole. Hiccup jumped off and cupped his hands around his mouth, "Toothless! Toothless!"

"How do we even know the Whispering Death made these holes?" Snotlout asked with a smirk.

"So, you think it might have been made by another 2,500 pound rock-eating dragon we're following?" Astrid retorted with a roll of her eyes.

"Do you even think before you speak?" I added with a glare at Snotlout.

"I know what you're… hey, don't confuse me!" Snotlout said after realizing what we were up to.

'_He was here not long ago_,' Snowfire said after sniffing the area carefully. '_His scent is strong, and so is the Whispering Death's_.'

I patted her shoulder in thanks before spotting something in the dirt. Kneeling down I picked up and realized what it was. A dragon tooth, with the gum still attached. Not my greatest idea, but it was a clue that proved they were here.

"Snowfire picked up their scents, and I found this," I explained as I handed Hiccup the tooth.

"He must've lost a tooth," he said after observing it. I simply gave him a 'no duh' look before Tuffnut suddenly grabbed it.

"Is it sharp? If it is I want it! I like sharp," Tuffnut sighed blissfully.

"Yep, nice and sharp," I muttered after taking it back. Tuffnut gave me a look of disappointment until Fishlegs spoke up.

"Think about this: Hundreds of those spinning together, ripping through dirt and tree roots. Discarding rock like it's not even there!" he exclaimed.

Suddenly the other dragons shifted uneasily and let out nervous growls. Snowfire was the only one who remained calm, but even she looked uneasy. Her eyes were narrowed with anger as she glared down at the hole.

"Stormfly, what's wrong?" Astrid asked as she tried to comfort her Nadder.

"Barf, calm down," Ruffnut scolded.

"Stop! Listen," Hiccup said, and even the dragons had quieted down.

"Listen for what?" Tuffnut asked.

'_It is the Whispering Death_,' Snowfire suddenly hissed. I looked at her uneasily when I realized that she was right. Those were the same whispering noises we'd heard at the plaza where the hole was. The same ones made before the ground started shaking.

"Uh, looks like we beat Toothless," Snotlout said nervously.

"Yippee, we win," I muttered just as the Whispering Death burst from the ground, spraying rock and dirt at us.

"Yeah, I don't feel like a winner," Fishlegs piped up. The Whispering Death suddenly turned and looked at him, leaning towards him. "Hi… um…. I like teeth." Fishlegs whimpered as the Whispering Death opened and closed it's large mouth.

Then it turned it's milky white eyes at me. I struggled to remain calm as it glared at me. Everyone was silent as they waited for the Whispering Death to make it's move. It was just hovering there. That was until it coiled up and growled at the dragons. In seconds it burrowed back into the ground.

"I hate it when it does that!" Snotlout grumbled. "Can you at least tell me why it does that?"

"Maybe to hunt?" Fishlegs suggested after we all looked at him. "Maybe because it's cooler?" Still no response. "Or maybe to look for water." And yet again, silence. "Or maybe he can't stand the pressure of everyone always expecting him to have answers!"

"He's losing it," Tuffnut said to his sister.

"I know…. It's awesome!" Ruffnut said with glee.

The Whispering Death shot up from behind Fishlegs, making him jump in terror. "Hold it still! I wanna touch it!" Tuffnut shouted and began walking towards it, but Ruffnut held him back.

"I'm willing to bet that it's looking for Toothless," I muttered. That was when Hiccup started approaching it. "Hiccup, wait, even I couldn't bond with it." The others just gave me weird looks at that. I still hadn't told them about my special ability.

"There has to be a way to train it," he replied in a firm tone.

"So, you're trying to get yourself killed?" Snotlout said in a smug voice.

'_Some dragons are not willing to follow humans_,' Snowfire put in.

"I've got to try." I desperately wanted to remind him of what happened when the Red Death attacked. Now that was a titan that couldn't be trained. But I resisted only just.

The Whispering Death had suddenly charged right at Hiccup. He quickly turned his head and reached out towards it with his hand. My heart was racing as the Whispering Death hovered just in front of him. It tilted it's head to one side, and for a moment it actually looked like this might work. But than the Whispering Death pulled back and dove back into the ground.

"Okay than…." Hiccup said slowly. Then I noticed what he was looking at.

"You're not going in there alone," I snapped after realizing how risky that was. "If you can somehow tame it, than it's possible we could train it." Hiccup eyed me skeptically before nodding in agreement.

"Um, I know what you're both thinking and the answer is no," Astrid said after a moment of silence followed. And of course we never listen.

...

As soon as we jumped down I noticed that there were network of tunnels winding throughout the area. It was dark, too dark to see ahead. Glancing up I noticed that Snowfire had jumped down to join us, providing a little bit of light.

"This thing's been busy," Hiccup said after giving the tunnels a good look.

"This must be where it spends all of it's time," I murmured thoughtfully. Snowfire leaned forward and rested her chin protectively on my shoulder.

'_It is not safe here_,' she warned us.

"There's got to be something down here that can help us." Snowfire only rolled her eyes when Hiccup ignored her. "Let's go."

We walked through the tunnel in silence, careful not to alert the Whispering Death. There were small shafts of light that occasionally peaked through the ground. But it wasn't enough to see ahead. I could see the roots of trees peaking through as well.

It really looked like an underground city, just like Bucket had said. Back in my world cave exploring like this would still be really popular.

"I have to admit, these are pretty cool." To my surprise my voice echoed against the walls, causing us both to jump at the sound. Hiccup could only nod in agreement before we continued heading towards the left.

We turned towards a hole until approaching a pair of green eyes that looked back at us. In an instant Snowfire let out a fierce growl, and it turned out that said creature was a sheep. It took off running the moment it heard Snowfire's warning growl.

I held back a sigh of relief I didn't realize I was holding. Despite how cool these tunnels looked, it was dangerous going in without any weapons. I had Snowfire to back me up, but I wasn't about to let her put her life at risk. Especially when the Whispering Death had suddenly emerged from another tunnel, looking around with a low growl in the back of it's throat.

Snowfire had shielded us both from it's sight as the large dragon slithered past. I watched between Snowfire's wings and noticed that the Whispering Death avoided the sunlight peaking through the shafts.

Suddenly the Whispering Death stopped in it's tracks. It had wandered off enough that all we could see was it's tail. I tried to keep myself calm when I noticed the bite marks on it's tail. They were familiar bite marks, one that could belong to only one species I knew of.

"Did you see that?" I couldn't help but ask once it finally slithered away like a snake.

"The bite mark?" Hiccup looked at me in confusion until I shook my head.

"Not just any bite mark," I replied. "A Night Fury did that. And I'm guessing that Night Fury holds a grudge."

"A history," Hiccup's eyes widened in realization. "H-How long can dragons hold a grudge?" We both looked at Snowfire as she narrowed her eyes.

'_To the death_,' she replied grimly. It took a while for this to sink in for Hiccup. Finally he broke the awkward silence.

"Let's get out of here before it comes back," he suggested.

"Good idea," I mumbled in agreement.

We ran down the tunnel, but just than the Whispering Death emerged from the shadows of another tunnel. Once again we managed to run to the side just as the Whispering Death dove towards us. Snowfire had shielded us again with her wings. And this time I noticed that the sunlight from the shafts reflected against her wings. The Whispering Death let out a furious screech before avoiding the sunlight once again.

"Hiccup! Alex!" Astrid's voice echoed down the tunnels.

"Yep, right here," Hiccup replied once we reached the entrance. Snowfire proceeded to jump up, causing the other teens to jump back in surprise.

"Did you see the Whispering Death?" Tuffnut asked. "Was it cool?"

"Did you touch it?" Ruffnut asked.

"I want to touch it!" Tuffnut exclaimed.

"Can you talk about this later?" Fishlegs asked in a worried voice. "We really need to get them out of there."

"Yeah, you do," Astrid put in after noticing something in the distance. I followed her gaze and realized that a trail of Earth was following us, at a dangerously fast pace.

"Alex, you go first," Hiccup ordered. I was ready to argue when I thought better of it. Snowfire had leaned down so that I could reach out, and she managed to pry me up.

"Hiccup, hurry up!" I yelled after realizing how close the Whispering Death was getting. Hiccup tried to reach for my hand as I leaned down, but it wouldn't reach.

"I can't!" Hiccup tried jumping, and at that moment our hands locked together, but Hiccup lost his grip and landed back on the bottom of the hole. My eyes widened with horror when I saw the Whispering Death was almost upon him. "Everyone stand back!" he suddenly ordered.

I nodded in understanding when I realized what he was going to do. Without a second thought I ran over to Snowfire and took off, hovering near the hole as the Whispering Death sprayed rock and soil towards us.

"Wow, I bet he could see our house from up there," Tuffnut said once I spotted Hiccup in the debris. The Whispering Death had suddenly burst out of the ground and was ready to catch Hiccup with it's teeth, but Snowfire was faster. She dropped him gently on the ground nearby seconds later.

"Thanks, Alex," Hiccup sighed in relief once he realized he was safe, for now. The Whispering Death didn't look happy as it turned to glare at us.

"I don't think it likes you in it's hole," Tuffnut said.

"Yeah, I got that."

"Can we get out of here?" Snotlout was actually whimpering. I thought I'd never see that happen. "Please?"

"No," Hiccup snapped. "I think I can train this thing. Anyone got some Dragon Nip?" In seconds everyone but me handed over some Dragon Nip. I already had a feeling this guy wouldn't like the idea of being trained. "Don't be afraid. I'm a friend." He held out his hands with a pile of Dragon Nip in them. "You'll love this; all dragons love it."

The Whispering Death gave a curious sniff of the grass. My eyes narrowed in surprise until it sneezed, spraying the grass all over. In a matter of seconds all of the dragons had dropped to the ground, intoxicated by the grass. I looked at Snowfire in disbelief when she was in the same state.

"Oh great, now we're defenseless!" Snotlout groaned.

"Any ideas? I'm throwing it wide-open to the group," Hiccup said while backing away uneasily.

"Well, we could either get eaten, or run away," I suggested after giving it some thought.

"I don't like the first option," Fishlegs replied.

"Agreed," Hiccup nodded.

"Right, or left?" I asked.

"Right!" Snotlout yelled.

All of us started running at once. The Whispering Death charged right after us. I had to jump out of the way a few times when it tried attacking me. Than it snapped it's jaws a few times at Hiccup as it changed targets, and at one point it almost got a hold of him. But out of nowhere Toothless came charging in, tackling the Whispering Death to the ground.

"Toothless!" Astrid yelled.

Toothless latched onto the back of the Whispering Death, clawing and growling as he managed to throw it to the other side of a clearing. It got back up again and let out another growl until the other dragons joined us. Toothless began to charge again, but the Whispering Death just slithered back into it's hole.

'_Coward_!' Snowfire roared after it. I nodded in agreement as Hiccup tried getting into Toothless' saddle. But the Night Fury only bucked him off and growled at him.

"Bud, it's me," Hiccup tried soothing him. "I know what's going on with you and that other dragon." To my surprise and relief, Toothless looked a bit less tense. "Let me help you." He reached for his best friend, but Toothless simply ran away again, and Hiccup tried following him. "Toothless, come back!"

Toothless stopped in his tracks and fired a plasma blast right near Hiccup's feet. The blast had thrown a bunch of dirt in the air, and Hiccup jumped back a bit. Toothless ran off once more, and this time Hiccup didn't follow.

"Awkward," Tuffnut said once it fell silent.

In minutes we had all taken off on our dragons. Hiccup was riding behind me on Snowfire as we searched for Toothless. He had just finished explaining the grudge match between Toothless and the Whispering Death.

"So, Toothless has an arch enemy; kind of like you and me," Snotlout said. I looked back to see if he was talking about Hiccup or me. Since the day I arrived on Berk, Snotlout had only gotten more competitive, especially now that he knew Hiccup and I were more than just friends.

"Snotlout, you are not my arch enemy," Hiccup muttered with a roll of his eyes.

"Well, you're mine," Snotlout said, giving an 'I'm watching your back' look.

"Toothless is just trying to protect you, Hiccup," Astrid said as she flew beside us.

'_He does not want humans involved_,' Snowfire added in agreement.

"That's not what it is," Snotlout retorted. "Toothless doesn't want you to ride him because it's between him and the other guy. He's a fighter, like me. Not… whatever you are."

"I never thought I'd say this, but Snotlout, I think you're right," Hiccup suddenly said.

"Wait… huh? You guys heard that, right?" Snotlout asked in surprise. Even I was surprised with that answer, though I didn't say it out loud.

"It's not a fair fight," Hiccup explained after noticing our confusion. "If Toothless is going to win, he has to fly. He can't do that without me."

"So, what are you saying?" I asked warily.

"I'm saying we need to find him, and soon," Hiccup replied.

"But how are you going to get on his back?" Astrid asked. "He's made it clear that he doesn't want your help."

"Let me worry about that." After a few moments of flying, we finally spotted him running across the forest. "There he is!" Hiccup pointed him out first. "Get me down there."

We landed carefully on the ground in front of him. Hiccup approached Toothless slowly once he jumped out of Snowfire's saddle. Toothless gave a growl until he realized it was only Hiccup. Hiccup held a hand over Toothless' head, than gave him a hug.

"Hey bud, you had me so worried. You haven't been yourself lately. It's good to see you're still you," he murmured after Toothless crooned apologetically. Suddenly the Whispering Death leaped from the ground and roared in defiance. "You can't just walk away from this, bud!" Hiccup yelled, but Toothless didn't move an inch and growled back. "Let's just go home." Hiccup tried climbing onto Toothless' saddle again, but he only pushed him away and ran towards the Whispering Death.

"You were so close! I thought you had him!" Fishlegs said.

"Is there any way to convince him otherwise?" I asked Snowfire. She only growled and shook her head as Toothless fought against the Whispering Death.

'_We cannot interfere_,' she replied to everyone. The other dragons had made noises of agreement before backing away. By now the fight had gotten intense, to the point where Toothless was sent sprawling towards a cliff.

Toothless roared at the Whispering Death, but just as he did it dove back into the ground. What happened next made my heart nearly skip a beat. The cliff broke apart, creating a large gap between Toothless and the Whispering Death.

It came back up shortly after, breathing rings of fire towards Toothless. He managed to dodge them, but it left him with less room now.

"Toothless!" Hiccup yelled upon seeing this. The Whispering Death fired another shot at Toothless, narrowly missing this time. "Buddy," Hiccup said quietly. I watched in surprise as Toothless gave him an apologetic look again. The Whispering Death was relentless in it's attacks, shooting more rings of fire at Toothless. "He's going to knock Toothless into the canyon!"

"The dragons won't listen," I murmured while watching the scene unfold. "This isn't their fight." It was hard to watch and _not_ want to help Toothless out. Toothless was almost falling to his death into the canyon.

Then Hiccup did something that nearly gave me a heart attack. He walked over to the ledge of the canyon, taking a step forward before falling in. Everyone looked on with shocked expressions.

We watched on in horror as Toothless leaped for him, only to be blocked by another ring of fire from the Whispering Death. Toothless jumped from rock to rock until he reached Hiccup before he landed. I let out a sigh of relief when Hiccup climbed into Toothless' saddle. The rocks that were falling had created a cloud of dust and debris, and Hiccup used that to his advantage. Toothless emerged from the cloud just when everyone looked like they were ready to give up.

"Yes!" I couldn't help but cheer when they took off.

"You save me. I save you. That's the way it is," Hiccup said as they flew towards the Whispering Death.

The Whispering Death sensed their approach and fired spikes in their direction. Luckily they were able to dodge just as it fired another ring of fire, this time dodging it again. Just as the Whispering Death roared in defiance, Toothless fired a plasma blast.

That was when I noticed something again. Sunlight had suddenly beamed through the clouds, nearly blinding the Whispering Death. It roared in fury and dove back underground again. The same thing had happened in the tunnels.

"Hiccup, the sunlight! That's it's weakness!" I called.

"Okay bud, let's keep him above ground," Hiccup replied once they flew over one of the tunnels. Toothless fired several plasma blasts into the tunnels. The result ended in explosions that shook the entire ground.

"This is amazing," Ruffnut said after her eyes widened in amazement.

"We've got to find you an arch nemesis," Tuffnut added to Barf and Belch.

Suddenly the Whispering Death emerged from one of the holes and flew straight into a mountain. It recovered quickly and growled at Toothless again, only to have the Night Fury pin him to the ground. Toothless looked like he was ready to deliver the final blow when Hiccup stopped him.

"Toothless, no!"

Just then the two dragons exchanged a fierce roaring competition. It last for a few moments before the Whispering Death finally backed down and dove underground again. Once it was over we flew down to join them.

"Aw man, Toothless could've finished him off!" Snotlout groaned.

"Well, I guess not all dragon grudges are to the death," Hiccup sighed in relief.

'_Not all indeed_,' Snowfire hummed in agreement.

"Hey bud, what do you say we go home?" Hiccup said as we flew back home.

...

The past can sometimes come back to haunt you in ways you don't expect it to. Toothless learned that the hard way, but he will always have Hiccup by his side. As for me, I knew my time was coming up. I knew that sooner or later my past would do more than just haunt me.

We would all need to be ready for what lays ahead.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Ah this chapter was fun to write as well. I love the Whispering Death and the way it looks XD<strong>

**silverwolvesarecool - He would! Plus it would be fun to watch XD And I never knew that, thanks! Ya learn something new every day :P**

**Cutie Kyuubi - Vikings don't really understand scientific terms, unfortunately. Hiccup's probably the only one who might listen and understand.**

**69759 - I know right? I'm thinking of getting a keyboard attachment for my iPad, that way if I go on trips I can take it instead of my laptop. And yes, Snotlout definitely needed that smack XD I'll admit I'm not a big fan of autocorrect, especially when it automatically 'knows' what words you're trying to type.**

**LittleOldSlightlyInsaneMe - Love your username :) And thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far. I appreciate any and all reviews!**

**Nightfire260 - I've always loved science. I try including it in stories when I can ^^ And I am getting an XBOX ONE for Christmas. I'm kind of against Sony right now for all the trouble they're in.**

**HTTYD Obsessed - She can be, but hopefully not to the point of being considered a MarySue. Definitely not what I was aiming for. But I will be naming this chapter '_What Lies Beneath_', I didn't know it had another name ^^**


	31. Twinsanity

**Chapter Thirty One**

Some people like to say that two heads are better than none. Well I like to say, that's a load of bull. And four heads? I'd say you're crazy for even suggesting that.

Today we were running simple trust tests again, flying through dark clouds to see what the dragons would do. I already trusted Snowfire with my life, having learned that she wouldn't let anyone harm me. The twins, however, weren't too fond of that idea.

"How are we supposed to see up here?" Ruffnut asked in annoyance.

"You're not; that's the whole point of this exercise," I replied as I spotted their shadows. Snowfire's white scales made it easier to see in the darkness. For that I was thankful, but the other riders didn't have such a luxury.

"Oh…. No, I still don't get it," Tuffnut muttered.

"When you can't see, you have to trust Barf and Belch to see for you. Like this," Hiccup said before flying into the darker clouds.

I watched from a distance as the two began arguing as to what direction they should go. Something told me that this was about to get out of hand, fast.

"Barf, up," Ruffnut ordered.

"Belch, down," Tuffnut said at the same time. The two heads did exactly as they were told. One head went up while the other went down, causing them to spin out of control. Snowfire hummed with laughter as the Zippleback slammed into Meatlug and Fishlegs.

The three riders had started falling, but luckily they fell into a tree. Once they stood up they realized the branch they stood on was starting to break. Snowfire stayed back just in case as the twins started arguing again.

Fishlegs gave a whistle and Meatlug flew to his rescue, but Barf and Belch were still spinning out of control. I think the fact that their riders were arguing had confused both heads. Not to mention they were getting too many orders. Hiccup flew down just in time to watch the whole thing.

Meatlug flew down and caught the twins just before they fell off. Once they were safe Fishlegs realized too late the branch was snapping.

"It worked! It actually worked!" he cried just as Toothless flew beneath him. Luckily he landed safely on Toothless' back.

"What was that hand thing you were doing?" Hiccup asked.

"If you must know," Fishlegs replied in a smug voice. "I have been crafting some rudimentary hand signals for Meatlug, just in case we get separated. And they seem to have been received."

"Hand signals, that's incredible, Fishlegs!" Hiccup exclaimed.

"Yeah I know!" Fishlegs said excitedly.

"We need to start working on those right away."

'_Why are you humans so excited about waving your hands around_?' Snowfire asked in annoyance. The look on Fishlegs' face was almost priceless. He loved giving out new ideas, especially when they were actually useful. This time they might actually be just that.

Once we had finished our trust exercise everyone headed back to the arena. After explaining his idea, I noticed how eager everyone was to work on hand signals. I actually felt a bit out of place as the others started practicing.

"Toothless, battle ready!" Hiccup ordered after holding a shield over his left arm. He squeezed his fist into a ball, and Toothless got ready to pounce. "Toothless, plasma blast!" Hiccup held his hand up and pointed a finger downward while throwing the shield up. Toothless fired a plasma blast at the shield, destroying it in seconds. "Good job, bud! Smile!" I had to laugh at the wide smile Toothless gave him.

"Not bad," I said after patting Toothless on the head. He just crooned in agreement before giving me a lick.

"Stormfly, spine shot!" Astrid ordered as she held out her arm and extended her hand. Stormfly fired several spikes at her, leaving an almost perfect ring around her rider. "Well, that's better than last time," she said after pulling a spike out of her boot.

"Hookfang, annihilate!" Snotlout shouted after laughing at Stormfly's mistake. Hookfang wasted no time in launching a fireball at Snotlout. The force of the blast sent him flying into the board he had been pointing to.

"Bulls-eye!" Tuffnut said with a grin.

"Think we should work on hand signals?" I asked while looking at Snowfire. It was hard not to laugh at the 'Are you serious?' look she gave me.

'_I do not need such foolish hand signals_,' she snapped. '_Unlike the others_ _here_.' I only shook my head as Fishlegs stretched out his arms for Meatlug to hug him. And the little dragon enthusiastically did just that. I couldn't help but smirk as Meatlug gave him affectionate licks afterwords.

"Hm, that could be useful," Hiccup said before looking at the twins. "Ruff, Tuff, your turn."

"Barf, go," Ruffnut said, pointing away from us.

"Belch, come," Tuffnut suddenly said, making a 'come here' gesture with both hands. Barf and Belch tried splitting up once again, but both heads ended up smacking back together. I watched uneasily as the twins glared at each other. "Belch, ground."

"Barf, sky." This time Ruffnut was pointing towards the sky. Barf and Belch made an attempt to perform both commands, but only ended up doing a back flip and landed on the ground shortly after.

"Haha! I win!" Tuffnut laughed.

"What do you think you're doing to my dragon?" Ruffnut demanded, this time actually sounding angry.

"_Your_ dragon?" Tuffnut asked in disbelief. "Pa-lease, you've been breathing Barf's gas again."

"Yeah, so?" Ruffnut was glaring at him now.

"Guys, guys," Hiccup snapped them out of their argument. "Barf and Belch is one dragon. You have to use one signal at a time."

"Good idea," Ruffnut replied with a smirk. "Barf, attack Tuffnut." Barf suddenly turned his head towards Tuffnut and rammed him in the back with his head. The force was enough to send him flying right into Snotlout, knocking them both over. "How's that?" she asked.

"I don't think that's what Hiccup—" Fishlegs didn't get the chance to finish when Tuffnut interrupted him.

"Belch, eat Ruffnut," he ordered. Belch bit down on Ruffnut and lifted her slightly from the ground.

"Um… owe," she said in a muffled voice.

"Come on Tuffnut," Hiccup sighed in exasperation. This really was getting annoying. It had been funny a few minutes ago, but now….

"Whatever," Tuffnut shrugged. "Belch, drop Ruffnut." He signaled to Belch, and the dragon dropped Ruffnut to the ground. She shuddered once she was let go.

"I can't work like this," she snapped.

"Ugh, it's completely unprofessional," Tuffnut added.

"I'm taking my dragon and going home," Ruffnut muttered.

"You touch that dragon and I'll—" Tuffnut began, but Ruffnut cut him off with a glare.

"You'll what?"

"I…. I don't know. Don't rush me. Just, uh… uh. I'll tell you tomorrow!" The scene left us all watching them in confusion as they tried pulling Barf and Belch, like he would separate somehow.

"Guys, come on," I muttered as the poor dragon let out a groan. "Stop please, leave the dragon out of it; it's over."

"Oh, it's over," Ruffnut snapped.

"Yeah, it's over. It's under," Tuffnut agreed. The two of them stormed off, leaving Barf and Belch to snap at each other angrily.

"What was that about?" Astrid asked once they were gone.

"I don't know," I replied with a shrug. "But it makes me glad that I'm an only sibling." I stopped and looked at Barf and Belch, than shook my head at the sight. They were still fighting like nothing had changed.

"Yeah, they'll be back," Hiccup said.

Once we managed to calm Barf and Belch down we made our way back to the village. The fight between Ruffnut and Tuffnut still left me feeling troubled. I'd only met a couple of twins in my lifetime, and they usually got along pretty well. But when they fought, it could get ugly.

Snowfire and Toothless followed behind us as we headed for Hiccup's house. And of course the first thing we noticed was Gobber trying to strap a belt around Stoick's waist.

"Argh, suck in your gut, Stoick," Gobber muttered as he tightened the belt.

"It's sucked Gobber! It doesn't suck any more than this!" Stoick grunted, sounding like he was in pain.

"Ah, the Ceremonial Belt," Hiccup said as we entered the house. "It's that time of the year again?" I only looked at them in confusion. People seemed to keep forgetting that I wasn't from this world.

"Yep, tomorrow's the annual treaty signing with the Berserkers," Stoick replied in a strained voice as Gobber tried fitting the belt around his waist.

"The Berserkers?" I asked curiously.

"We used to be at constant war with them," Gobber explained before Hiccup could open his mouth. "But than Chief Oswald the Agreeable signed a peace treaty with us to end that war." I nodded in understanding until I noticed the look in Hiccup's face.

"Oh please don't tell me he's bringing that lunatic kid of his," he begged. Now I really felt lost. Thankfully Gobber once again dropped the name that I was waiting for.

"Dagur? Oh, he'll be here," Gobber replied.

"Great, and let me guess, I'm going to have to make sure he doesn't break anything," Hiccup groaned in annoyance at the thought.

I was already starting to suspect that this Dagur character was a bit of an ass. Maybe I was wrong. God I hoped I was wrong. We already had Snotlout and Mildew to deal with. Those two are more than enough for me.

"Actually, no." Stoick's response made us both look at him in surprise. "I have a more important job for you and Alex. You two get to hide all of the dragons."

"From a guy named Oswald the Agreeable?" I asked skeptically.

"Why?" Hiccup added in equal confusion.

"Just because we've had peace with them for fifty years doesn't mean they still can't go, well…." Stoick paused as he tried searching for the right word.

"Berserk?" Gobber suggested.

"Exactly," Stoick replied with a nod. "The dragons could be seen as a sign of aggression. Better blissful than bloody, I always say."

"And the last thing we want is another Berserker Skirmish," Gobber put in. "They tend to play for keeps."

"Sounds like my kind of people," I said with a smirk. The looks they gave me were priceless. I tried not to laugh as Stoick shook his head and sighed.

"So, just hide the dragons, both of you," he told us.

...

"So, what do you think of these 'Berserkers'?" I asked as I settled down beside Snowfire.

I was more curious about this Dagur guy that Hiccup and everyone else seemed concerned about. Hopefully he wasn't the trouble they claimed him to be.

'_They are humans_,' she replied in a growl. '_Humans cannot be trusted upon first appearance_.' Spikes lay curled up at the bottom of my bed. He would have to join the other dragons tomorrow. Snowfire wasn't too fond of that idea either.

"They can't be _that_ bad," I murmured with a shrug. "I mean, the Chief's name is Oswald the Agreeable."

'_I still do not like it_,' she huffed after heating up the stone she used as a bed. '_When I am not with you, you are not safe_.'

"Love you too, Snow," I laughed at the look she gave me. "Everything will be fine, I promise."

'_Do not make promises that you cannot keep_,' she snapped before falling silent again.

I held back a sigh and realized that she had a point. Sometimes I wondered why I bothered. Being part of this world meant that there were dangers I was never prepared for. Maybe it was time I learned how to properly defend myself.

...

It was early in the morning when we gathered all of the dragons together. Fortunately they were more than willing to listen after offering a hand full of Dragon Nip. Not to mention the fact that they all seemed attracted to me.

"Back in line! Back in line!" Snotlout ordered a couple of Terrible Terrors straying away from the pack. Spikes just gave him a defiant look and flapped his way back to me. "Is Dagur coming? He's so cool!"

"Cool?" Hiccup asked in disbelief. "Last time he was here, he used me as a throwing knife for target practice."

"That guy needs to be locked up in a cage," Astrid put in.

"That's what he did to me!" Fishlegs said with a shudder. "He kept me locked in there for three days!"

"Then he force-fed you rotten cod heads," Snotlout laughed at the memory.

"Thanks, I almost erased that from my memory," Fishlegs whimpered.

"This Dagur guy sounds like an asshole," I muttered as Snowfire and I flew beside Hiccup and Toothless. Hiccup nodded in agreement, but our conversation was cut short by a warning call from Astrid.

"Look out! Incoming Zippleback!" she called as it flew wildly towards us. It didn't take a genius to know who the Zippleback was.

"Where's Ruffnut and Tuffnut?" Hiccup demanded. "Someone go and get that dragon."

"I'm on it!" Snotlout replied before flying under Barf and Belch. He jumped off of Hookfang and landed on Belch's head shortly after.

"Snotlout, you need two riders to control him," I pointed out before Hiccup and Fishlegs flew towards them.

"Fishlegs, get in there," he ordered. Fishlegs gave him an uneasy look before holding onto Meatlug uncertainly.

"I'm not really sure this is the best—" Fishlegs let out a scream as Barf threw him off of Meatlug. I smothered my laughter as Fishlegs landed on Barf's neck, causing the Zippleback to release a wave of gas that erupted in front of him. "I don't feel so good," he groaned.

"It's the gas," Hiccup explained. "Just don't try breathing it in."

"Yeah? That ship has sailed," Fishlegs said, and his face turned a pale greenish color. I thought that only happened in cartoons. Snowfire rolled her eyes at his reaction.

'_Why are humans so frail_?' she wondered out loud.

"Whoa! Hey, somebody tell me how to work this thing," Snotlout shouted as he climbed down to Belch's neck.

"Whatever you do, Snotlout, don't spark!" Hiccup called. But it was too late. Snotlout had pressed down on Belch's horn, causing him to spark up the gas. This sent the two flying back, but luckily Hookfang had caught them both.

"Okay, now I feel worse," Fishlegs moaned.

"Then if I were you, I wouldn't think of that rotten cod head sliding down your throat," Snotlout said with a smirk.

"Really Snotlout? Really?" I muttered as Fishlegs couldn't hold it in. Fishlegs had leaned over to throw up while Snotlout's face twisted in disgust. Serves the asshole right for stirring up trouble. I looked on as the Zippleback flew away.

"Wait here," Hiccup said as he flew next to Snowfire. "I need to find the twins to get that Zippleback under control before the Berserkers—" A horn blared in the distance, causing the dragons to falter in their flight.

"Are here," I finished while looking over my shoulder.

"Great. Just great," Hiccup muttered crossly.

Hiccup and I veered away from the group to warn Stoick about Barf and Belch. A dragon like that could easily frighten the Berserkers into thinking we were preparing for battle. That last thing the island needed right now was war.

"Dad, there's some—" Hiccup started, but Stoick cut him off.

"Not now, son. Oswald is here," Stoick replied.

And sure enough a large ship was headed in our direction. My eyes narrowed as I saw a flag waving in the air. It had the image of a Skrill, a dragon from legend that was said to control lightning itself, on the flag. I'm guessing that's the Berserkers' crest.

A smaller Berserker boat sailed towards us and landed in front of the dock, lowering a plank so that Oswald could walk down. A Berserker stood up and held a spear in the air.

"Presenting the high chief of the Berserker tribe; cracker of skulls, slayer of beasts, the great and fearsome—"

"Oswald the Agreeable?" Gobber and Stoick asked at the same time.

"Dagur the Deranged!" he finished in a booming voice.

My eyes narrowed into tiny slits as someone around Hiccup's age walked down the plank. He basically looked exactly like his namesake – deranged. Dagur stood behind the speaker before spitting over the edge of the plank. He turned towards us and let out a sinister chuckle.

"Dagur?" Stoick asked, still looking like he's seen a ghost.

"Deranged?" Gobber added.

"Oh, no," Hiccup grumbled under his breath. "You've got to be kidding me." Dagur suddenly threw a knife towards Hiccup, faster than any of us could react. Luckily the knife had narrowly missed. "Oh, perfect." I resisted the urge to glare at Dagur as he walked down the plank.

"Dagur, where is your father?" Stoick asked.

"My father, has been 'retired'," Dagur explained, using quotations around the word retired. "He lost his taste for blood. I, on the other hand, am starving." His expression turned serious for a moment as he looked at Stoick. "So, where are you hiding them, Stoick?"

"Hiding what, Dagur?" It was obvious that Stoick was trying stay patience.

"Do I look stupid to you?" Dagur demanded. I was ready to answer when Gobber stopped me with a smirk.

"Trick question; don't answer it," he said in a whisper. I only rolled my eyes in response.

"We both know what's going on here," Dagur told us with a wicked grin. "I have an excellent authority that you're amassing a dragon army." He was pointing an oddly shaped axe at us, making me feel even more uncomfortable.

"Excellent authority?" Stoick asked in surprise. "And who would that be, Dagur?"

"Never mind. Just know that if it's true than my armada will attack with a force of fifty thousand brave Berserker soldiers," Dagur replied with a smirk, gesturing towards his readying soldiers.

"Stand down, Dagur," Stoick told him, trying to keep things calm. "There won't be any need for the armada. Now let's get the treaty."

Hiccup gave me one pleading look before making a run for it. I glanced back at Dagur's army before following. If what Dagur said was true, than he'd freak if Barf and Belch were on the loose.

"Well, Dagur is officially an ass," I muttered crossly.

"Oh, this is bad. This is really bad," Hiccup sighed as we reached the village. "We have to find that Zippleback!" Astrid chose that moment to pull us aside.

"Guys, we have a problem," she explained.

"Oh, yeah?, you're telling me? Dagur's the new Berserker Chief," Hiccup replied.

"What?" Astrid looked at us both in disbelief.

"Yeah, his father 'retired'," I put in with a roll of my eyes. I already had a feeling just by watching Dagur that his father did more than just 'retire'.

"And he thinks we're hiding the dragons," Hiccup added.

"Well, we kind of are," Astrid pointed out. "Which brings us to our next problem." She pointed down towards a set of fresh Zippleback prints in the ground.

"Barf, and Belch, here?" Hiccup gasped.

"Could this day get any worse?" I asked with a groan. And sure enough it could. A roar sounded, and soon we found Barf and Belch eating a basket full of fish. The two heads looked on ahead, and we did the same, only to find Stoick, Gobber and Dagur approaching. "Why do I even bother?" I wondered out loud.

Without a second thought the three of us ran over to Barf and Belch. Barf's head looked in my direction while Belch's head looked at the basket of fish Hiccup picked up. Thankfully the Zippleback was following us. And just in time too; Dagur had arrived just as we led Barf and Belch away.

"And we're walking… walking," Gobber said slowly and deliberately. Than they stopped at the food storage house. "Here we have our storage of food. It's where we… well."

"Ooh! Ooh! Let me guess…. Store your food!" Dagur finished with an over-enthusiastic response.

"No wonder they made him chief," Gobber muttered with a roll of his eyes.

They entered the storage house just as Barf and Belch ran past us. We still were hot on their trail.

"Barf, Belch, come back here!" Hiccup called in an urgent whisper. The second we ran past, Dagur walked out.

"Where'd they go?" I asked once the three of them were gone.

"I have no idea," Hiccup replied, sounding more worried by the minute. "You and Astrid keep looking, I'll go and warn my dad."

I really didn't like the idea of spending time alone with Astrid. Especially now that things had changed between Hiccup and I. And of course Astrid wasn't too fond with the idea either. Fortunately neither of us complained as we chased down the Zippleback.

Barf and Belch were headed for the armory, which of course happened to be where Stoick and the others were headed.

"This is crazy; why aren't the twins taking care of this?" I muttered as we chased after Barf and Belch.

"My guess is, they're too stubborn to admit they need each other," Astrid replied once we reached the armory.

"I knew it! Where is it?" Too late, Stoick had spotted Barf and Belch first as they rounded the corner of the armory. Thankfully Gobber was keeping Dagur busy as he grabbed hold of his sword, ready to kill.

"He's joking, Dagur!" Gobber laughed nervously as he looked at both me and Astrid. "That Stoick, always a prankster." I held back a sigh of relief when I spotted Hiccup headed for the armory as well, hopefully to grab Barf and Belch before they were discovered. "Tell me, Dagur, what are some of your deranged plans for the Berserker tribe?"

Sure enough we found Barf and Belch sitting on the roof of the armory.

"Guys, get down here, you can't be up there," I whispered after joining Hiccup.

"Oh come on," Hiccup muttered as they refused to listen. "We need to think like Ruffnut and Tuffnut…." He paused after realizing what he just said, all the while I was struggling not to laugh, despite the situation. "I cannot believe I just said that! Barf, sky!" He began waving his arms at them when they didn't budge.

"Belch, sky!" I repeated his words, hoping they might listen to me. And of course they wouldn't.

Dagur's voice followed as they got closer, opening the door to the armory. I didn't miss the fact that Hiccup winced. I closed my eyes and held my breath, praying that Dagur didn't notice Barf and Belch.

"Nice weapons, very clean, no blood stains; pity. Ah, Hiccup, there you are! And I see that Berk has a new resident on their island," Dagur said with a sly grin.

"Dagur! I was just thinking about you," Hiccup began with a nervous laugh. "Hey, remember that time we went swimming and you tried to drown me?"

"Oh, the laughs we had," Dagur sighed before noticing me again. "So, who's your friend?"

I looked up in time to see that Barf and Belch were gone, much to my relief. Hiccup and I exchanged looks. What exactly were we supposed to tell him? Best thing to do here was improvise. Hopefully Astrid was out looking for Barf and Belch.

"I've been on Berk for about a year now," I explained with a nervous shrug. "Best decision I made."

"Hm, interesting…. Bored again," Dagur suddenly muttered. "Just a moment! Something's going on in here," he said in an accusing tone after looking around.

"Uh, I can explain," Hiccup replied.

"Where is it?" For a moment I thought Dagur was referring to the Zippleback hiding out. But than I noticed that he was looking at Hiccup's prosthetic leg.

"Your leg, Hiccup," Dagur told him with a smirk. "Never mind, I heard all about it."

"You heard all about it?" Hiccup asked.

"You. The Red Death. Defeated it with her help," Dagur explained, pointing at me. "So tell me, how is it that a girl who just moved to Berk was able to take down a dragon as big as the Red Death?"

"Wha-Us? Look at us! How is that even possible?" Hiccup asked as if it were some kind of joke.

"Yeah, I mean, it would've been more believable if we had killed a Terrible Terror," I added after biting the bottom of my lip.

"Right? That's what I thought too!" Dagur said with a laugh. Both Hiccup and I sighed in relief once he changed the subject. "But than I heard about the trained dragons, and it got me well… kind of tingly."

"Train dragons?" asked Hiccup with a shocked expression. "How would you train dragons?"

"I don't know," Dagur snapped. "How would you?" He spoke in an almost taunting voice.

"How _would_ we know?" I asked skeptically, and of course Dagur shot me a glare.

"Alright then. Who's hungry?" Hiccup asked to break the tension. Stoick finally came outside and looked down at Dagur.

"It's this way, Dagur," he said. As we turned to leave a roar sounded nearby. My heart nearly skipped a beat at the sound, and everyone turned to look at us.

"Oh, boy am I hungry," Hiccup said, rubbing his stomach.

"Yeah, you sound just like a dragon," I piped up in a playful tone. Hiccup gave me a knowing smirk as Dagur narrowed his eyes.

"I said this way, Dagur!" Stoick ordered, guiding Dagur away from us. Once Dagur was out of earshot he whispered, "you two get that dragon under control."

We returned to the armory in time to see Toothless dragging Barf and Belch by the tail. It was an amusing sight, and I would've laughed had it not been for the dangers we were all in. Dagur could declare war on Berk if he saw fit.

"We need the twins," Hiccup muttered. I couldn't help but nod in agreement. Barf and Belch wouldn't listen to anyone but their rider. That much was clear.

...

Later that evening the two of us were at the twins house. Suddenly Tuffnut came running down the stairs and swung between us. My eyes widened when I saw that his legs were attached to a wooden beam.

"What are you guys doing here?" he asked.

"Hey Tuffnut, how are you feeling?" Hiccup decided to ask.

"Mind coming down to join us? This is kind of important," I added.

"Whatever…." Tuffnut did a back flip and landed on the floor before looking around smugly. "Whoa. Yeah, I love that part."

"Look," Hiccup began after sighing in exasperation, "about Barf and Belch, we need you and Ruffnut to get your dragon under control."

"Uh-Uh, no," Tuffnut replied with a shake of his head. "No thank you. I am officially out of the dragon business, and the sister business, and the sister and dragon business. The dristisderness."

"What's going on with you two?" I asked after folding my arms. "You've never fought like this before." Well, for as long as I've known them at least.

"Simple. You know what this is?" Tuffnut asked, holding up a spoon.

"Uh, a spoon," Hiccup replied in a questioning tone.

"No, it's our spoon. Just like this is our dish, and our axe, and our well groomed stuffed yak," Tuffnut explained while pointing to the stuff he had mentioned. "Everything is ours. I'm sick of ours. Just once I want something to be mine. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to pack up my half of the yak."

"Go? Where?" Hiccup asked.

"I don't know," Tuffnut replied with a shrug. "To my dark, soggy alone place. This is my house; too many memories."

With that being said, he started walking out of the house. I was too stunned to talk. Tuffnut, leaving? The terrible duo of Tuffnut and Ruffnut was over? How was that even possible?

"Tuff!" Hiccup called as we watched him leave.

"Dark, soggy alone place?" I asked warily.

"Yeah, I really don't want to know," Hiccup muttered.

"But what do we do about Barf and Belch?"

My thoughts went back to how Barf and Belch had more than one head. Maybe that was why they didn't listen to just one person. It made sense; they had two brains and probably fought with each other over who got to do what.

"I don't know," Hiccup admitted.

We chose to drop the subject until letting Stoick know what happened. I couldn't imagine what life would be like if the twins continued fighting like this. Normally they fought, but it was never _this_ bad.

"Did you get that Zippleback under control?" Stoick asked when we reached the Great Hall. He was holding a feast for the Berserkers and the peace treaty.

"We're working on it," Hiccup replied in a whisper.

"A toast! To death and battle!" Dagur cheered and raised his mug in the air. The rest of the Vikings lifted their mugs in the air and followed with the cheer.

"To your father! To Oswald!" Gobber shouted. Dagur sat back and leaned against his chair, glaring at Gobber.

"Fine, whatever. 'To Oswald! To Oswald! To Oswald!' Bladady bladady blah!" he muttered in a mocking tone. I grimaced as he pulled out a knife and drove it into the bowl sitting in front of him. His face was twisted with a look of anger that sent shivers through me.

"Well, on that cheerful note, shall we sign that peace treaty and send you on your way?" Gobber suggested in a hopeful voice.

"Great idea! Let's sign that treaty. Bring us the dragon's blood!" Dagur announced.

"Uh, did you say dragon's blood?" I couldn't help but ask. It felt like my blood had run cold.

"Well, this just got interesting," Hiccup muttered crossly. Stoick just gave a nervous laugh as everyone looked at one another uncomfortably.

"Don't be ridiculous, Dagur," he said after taking a breath. "Your father and I haven't signed in dragon blood for years."

"Why would that be a problem, Stoick?" Dagur asked in a taunting voice. "Unless, of course, you don't kill dragons anymore."

"We still kill dragons," Stoick reassured him.

"The problem is," Gobber put in, "that we've killed so many that there isn't a dragon within two hundred miles around here." My heart nearly skipped a beat when something banged on the door. Seconds later and Barf and Belch burst through the door, roaring in defiance. "Except that one."

Barf and Belch ran back outside when they saw Dagur. By now he had jumped out of his seat, giddy with excitement.

"A Zippleback! It's a sign! A head for each chief!" he said enthusiastically. Dagur laughed and slammed a fist into the table, before grabbing Stoick by the arms and shaking him eagerly. "It's going to be amazing!" He stood and threw his knife on the table. "Tonight, we hunt dragons!"

It felt like I was going to be sick when the Berserkers cheered for their new chief. How could anyone enjoy killing anything, let alone innocent dragons? There was no way in hell I'd let this bastard kill any dragon, or human while they were here.

"You need to find that dragon before he does," Stoick whispered to the both of us. I couldn't help but nod in agreement. This was about to turn ugly, fast.

...

'_It is about time you returned_,' Snowfire snapped as we all flew with our dragons over the island. Needless to say she was not happy with how long we'd been apart. In fact she was the first to approach me over the other dragons when we got back.

But now we had something more important to take care of: Barf and Belch. The Zippleback was on the run, and the twins were nowhere to be found.

"So, anyone else where Tuffnut's soggy, alone place could be? It could be anywhere!" I asked as we continued flying ahead.

"Not really. There could only be one place," Snotlout replied, and we all gave him looks of disbelief. "What?"

"Why didn't you say something sooner?" Hiccup demanded.

"Why didn't you ask?" Snotlout retorted.

"Snotlout, we've been looking for them all day," Astrid snapped.

"And?" Snotlout muttered.

'_Would you like me to bite your head off_?' Snowfire hissed. Snotlout looked at her in shock before looking ahead.

"Glad to hear you again," he muttered under his breath. Snowfire let out another growl before he continued in a rushed explanation, "He's probably at the lost cavern. They used to play and go kill there when they were kids."

"Astrid, you and Snotlout go and check the south entrance of the cavern. Alex, Fishlegs and I will take the north," Hiccup told everyone.

We broke away to fly north towards the other side of the cave, while Astrid and Snotlout flew on ahead. I didn't miss the look Snotlout had given Astrid, and couldn't help but smirk. She could easily take care of herself if he tried doing anything.

Once we reached the cavern, Hiccup got up and Toothless helped light the torch he was holding.

"Alright bud, do your thing. Search," Hiccup said, using his 'search' gesture with his hand. Toothless gave a low growl before doing as he was told.

Snowfire checked the air as well and gave me a reassuring nudge with her snout.

'_He is near, I can scent him_,' she warned us. Toothless simply nodded in agreement as we followed him.

"Tuffnut?" Hiccup asked uncertainly.

"Ugh, you guys," Tuffnut groaned. He was leaning against a rock, looking at us in annoyance. "Would you guys quit following me?"

"Ruffnut!" Astrid's voice echoed through the cave.

"Would you quit following me?" another equally annoyed voice sounded.

"Did you guys here that?" I asked.

"Duh, it's called an echo," Snotlout said as he and Astrid joined us.

I peered over the rock Snotlout and Astrid went around and tried not to laugh. Ruffnut poked her head out, and Tuffnut did the same. Even if they wanted to be apart, they were still somehow together in the cave.

"Toothless, plasma blast," Hiccup ordered. Toothless fired a plasma blast in the air shortly after.

"What are you doing in my soggy place?" Tuffnut demanded, standing up.

"This is my soggy place, and I'm not sharing it with you," Ruffnut added, doing the same.

"Okay, listen, please. We need to get you guys to your dragon. It's important," Hiccup explained, dropping the torch.

"Barf and Belch are in real trouble," I added in a pleading voice.

"Fine. I'll go with, but not with her," Tuffnut finally replied.

"I'm not going anywhere with her either," Ruffnut added in an equally stubborn voice.

"Yeah! Wait, what?" Tuffnut looked at Ruffnut suspiciously.

"No, you don't understand. You both have to go," I warned them. The two turned from each other and looked at the ground.

"Guys, listen," Hiccup began, "like it or not, you two are connected to each other, and you're connected to your dragon. Just like me and Toothless." Toothless crooned in agreement at his rider's statement.

"And me and Snowfire," I piped in as she hummed along.

'_We are one_,' she added.

"Along with me and Stormfly," Astrid added in a proud voice.

"Us too," Fishlegs said.

"We can get you another spoon, another dish, and another stuffed yak; what we can't get you is another Barf and Belch," Hiccup told them. They both sighed and looked away, and an uncomfortable silence followed. It was obvious they were thinking of what Hiccup had said. "Do you think they got any of that?"

"Fine," Tuffnut sighed. The two spit in their palms and shook each others hands, than they banged their helmets together. "You know, I did spit in my hand a little more."

"They got it," Astrid said with a smile.

"Okay, let's go. We're out of time," Hiccup told everyone.

"So why is this so important anyway?" Tuffnut asked.

"The Berserkers are holding down your dragon for blood ink," Snotlout explained nonchalantly. Everyone gave him looks of disbelief at his insensitivity. Snotlout just shrugged as if it didn't matter. "What? Is that not what's happening?"

Moments later and we were flying over the forest, searching for Barf and Belch. Tuffnut was flying with Hiccup and Toothless, while Ruffnut flew with Astrid and Stormfly. It didn't take us long to spot the Zippleback in the middle of a clearing. The two heads were trying to fly in different directions, which didn't work very well since they were attached.

"Okay, let's get you guys down there," Hiccup said. We were all about to fly down, but it was too late. The Berserkers had already found Barf and Belch. What happened next made my stomach lurch with horror. They tied their ropes around the Zippleback, dragging the two heads to the ground.

"No!" Tuffnut cried. We all hid our dragons in the branches of a tree as the Berserkers led the Zippleback away. "What are we doing here? We have to get our dragon!"

'_I do not trust those humans, not on my life_,' Snowfire snapped.

"We can't afford to be spotted by the Berserkers," Hiccup added while nodding in agreement.

We could only watch helplessly as Barf and Belch were dragged away. Dagur pulled out his sword with relish, and pointed it at the dragon's face. I think my heart almost stopped when he got ready to deliver a killing blow. But it was only blocked by Stoick's sword, only just. Dagur glared, well, daggers at Stoick.

"How dare you?" he demanded in a cold voice.

"How dare you?" Stoick asked in equal amount of anger. "We're supposed to slay this dragon together, and that's what we'll do. In the arena, where dragon killing is done."

In that moment I knew that Stoick was stalling, for all of our sakes. Dagur glared at him before finally sheathing his sword.

"To the arena!" he yelled, and the Berserker soldiers followed, dragging Barf and Belch along with them. Once they were gone we landed to the ground.

"The chief's not going to let them kill our dragon," Tuffnut said. "Is he?" the twins said together this time.

"He won't have a choice unless we come up with a plan," Hiccup replied.

"I have a plan," Snotlout announced. We all looked at him in surprise until he carried on, "One word: Annihilate!" He gestured towards the arena. Hookfang decided to blow fire over Snotlout's head and hit the back of his helmet. "Hookfang!"

"Or not," I said with a smirk.

"Actually, that could work!" Hiccup exclaimed.

"You know what that means," I whispered to Snowfire. She nodded in agreement as we headed for the arena. Communication between dragon and rider was key. And Snowfire was able to read my thoughts, to some extent. It gave us a major advantage in battle.

_'This will be fun_,' she hummed when we reached the arena.

We arrived just in time to see Dagur raising his sword at Barf and Belch. They were tied down to the ground, whimpering in fear at the sight of the weapon. I didn't miss the fact that Stoick had his sword ready to strike if we didn't get there in time.

"Help! Dragon attack!" Hiccup shouted as Astrid and I followed him into the arena.

"The dragons are attacking!" I chimed in.

Hookfang stuck his head through the barbed wires covering the arena, with Snotlout on top of him. He made an '_annihilate_' gesture that Hookfang surprisingly followed. He blasted fire at the Berserker soldiers who were holding Barf and Belch down.

"What is going on?" Gobber asked in disbelief.

"Gobber, dragon attack." Stoick gave him a look as he emphasized the words. It took a second for Gobber to register what he meant by that.

"Oh, _dragon attack_! Everyone, out of here!" he yelled.

Stormfly, Meatlug and Snowfire chose that moment to fly into the arena. The Berserkers readied their weapons. Astrid gave Stormfly a tail spine attack command, and she fired several spikes in the process. Fishlegs had given Meatlug a hug command, and she did just that. I gave Snowfire one look and she nodded in understanding.

She reared up and blew an icy blast that froze the ground right under the Berserker soldiers' feet. I tried not to laugh as they slipped and fell seconds later.

"We must protect our guests," Gobber said as he grabbed Dagur by the arm.

"Run all you want, but Dagur the Deranged will not retreat!" Dagur yelled before turning to face Barf and Belch.

Ruffnut and Tuffnut were giving a gas and spark command, this time one at a time. They obeyed and sent a huge wall of fire. Dagur started reaching for his sword when I gave Snowfire another look. She swung her tail across Dagur without warning, knocking him off of his feet. The twins made an attack and bite command before gesturing for Barf and Belch to come.

Dagur saw them leaving and tried reaching for his spear. Just as he threw it, Toothless leaped into the arena and caught it before turning to face Dagur with a growl.

"Night Furies and White Terrors," Dagur said, his eyes widening in awe, "they _do_ exist!"

"Back, back you fiend!" Hiccup ordered "You will not harm my friend Dagur." He was holding a dagger and a shield as he gestured for Toothless to back away. Then out of nowhere he hit Dagur in the face with his shield to make it look like an accident. He pointed down to Toothless, and seconds later Toothless fired a plasma blast. Hiccup shoved Dagur out of the way towards the entrance, and his Berserker soldiers followed him. "Please, Dagur, save yourself!" Hiccup called.

I had to admit, it was funny watching Toothless push him to the ground. Had we not planned for something like this things would have been different. Stoick even tried pulling Toothless away, only to find himself unsuccessful.

"You owe it to your people!" Stoick added.

"Berserkers! To the boats!" Dagur added as Snowfire let out an eerie screech. Dagur and his soldiers ran out of the arena, right for the boats.

"What about the treaty?" Gobber called after him.

"Consider it signed!" Dagur yelled over his shoulder. Once they were gone everyone stopped fighting. I let out a sigh of relief as Snowfire nudged me playfully.

"Way to scare the crap out of them," I laughed.

"Well done, you two," Stoick said after his shoulders sagged in equal relief. "I don't believe we'll be seeing Dagur the Deranged any time soon."

"Let's hope not," Hiccup replied.

'_Agreed. Some humans will never learn_,' Snowfire hummed in agreement.

...

Some people would say that two heads would be considered crazy. But after meeting Dagur for the first time, I would take crazy over Berserk any day.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Another long chapter! And sorry for the delay, I was working on another story. If you've noticed by now I have two other stories up, and I've kind of been neglecting my other two since this was started ^^ At any rate, I just wanted to warn everyone that I will not be posting anything on Christmas. It's kind of a big deal for my family, so that's why. Anywho, on to review replies! I also wanted to warn everyone that I'm skipping the next episode. Just thought I'd throw that in there :P<strong>

**silverwolvesarecool - Yeah, even Alex couldn't tame it ;) Some dragons have their limits. And sorry, I don't normally PM unless I absolutely have to ^^**

**69759 - XD Totally got that dick joke! Love Guardians of the Galaxy :P And yep, I know that feeling. Autocorrect... sometimes I want it on, and other times I just don't.**

**Nightfire260 - Awe man, that stinks :( I'm getting an XBOX ONE, so I'm not entirely sure how that would work. And yep, it was stated in the show multiple times that dragons hold a grudge. The Whispering Death is probably my second favorite dragon in the series :)**

**HTTYD Obsessed - It's okay... Honestly I haven't really watched much of the second season, Defenders of Berk. I'm excited about writing the second movie too, it's gonna be exciting! And I'm not sure... I might just write an entirely different plot about Alex's father when the second movie is finished, just to keep things rolling :)**

**LittleOldSlightlyInsaneMe - XD No problem! And thanks :D I'm glad you liked it!**


	32. Breakneck Bog

**Chapter Thirty Two**

We all have had things that we've lost and thought we could never live without. Sometimes to find it again you have to be willing to do anything. Even if that means looking fear right in the eye. Just make sure you don't blink.

Stoick and Gobber were riding on Thornado, flying away from Berk. Hiccup and I flew behind them on Toothless and Snowfire. As we flew over the ocean, I noticed that Stoick kept looking over the ocean for signs of life.

"Where is he?" Stoick asked Gobber. "He's never been this late before."

"Are you sure Trader Johann has it?" Gobber asked skeptically.

"I'm sure," Stoick replied in a firm tone. "I heard it from Trader Johann, who heard it from Stevenson the Shepard, who talked to Toldstadt the Fisher, who said he saw Johann put it in the boat himself."

"Well it doesn't get anymore sure than that," Gobber said while rubbing the back of his neck.

"You know, it might help if we actually knew what we were looking for," I pointed out as Snowfire crooned in agreement.

"Yeah, why are we being kept in the dark?" Hiccup asked.

"We're looking for Trader Johann," Stoick replied. "That's all you need to know." Snowfire only rolled her eyes at the response. She was clearly annoyed for getting her sleep disturbed, and of course this long flight wasn't making things much easier.

'_This search is pointless_,' she muttered crossly. Fortunately we turned back towards Berk after flying around a few more minutes. Once we landed on the docks, Stoick got off of Thornado and looked on in disappointment.

"Not to worry, old friend," Gobber said reassuringly. "It'll arrive safely, and in good time."

Hiccup looked at Toothless before glancing at me. "Come on, we're going on a little field trip," he said with a grin.

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me," I replied with a smirk. Snowfire narrowed her eyes in annoyance when she realized where this was going.

'_Am I not allowed to have proper rest_?' she demanded as we headed to the arena.

Once we reached the arena Hiccup started packing some smoked salmon into the saddles while I grabbed water to take on the trip. We weren't sure how long the trip would be. I always say it's better to be prepared and safe than sorry. Fortunately, Hiccup's a good listener.

"Alright, we'll start at the west islands and work our way back," Hiccup explained.

"Back from where?" I looked up in time to see Astrid and Stormfly fly down to join us.

"Uh, just a quick spin around the island," Hiccup replied.

"You might as well tell the truth," I whispered when he looked at me skeptically. "You're a terrible liar," I added with a grin.

"She's right, especially since you're bringing enough food for Snotlout's whole family for a quick spin," Astrid replied after pulling out the food from Hiccup's satchel. And right on cue Snotlout joined us on Hookfang.

"Do I hear my name? Is Astrid finally admitting that she needs me?" Both Hiccup and I smirked when Astrid punched Snotlout right up the nose.

"Even if I _did_ need help, the last person I would ask for help is _you_," she snapped before Snotlout grabbed the smoked salmon she was holding.

"All right," Hiccup sighed. "Look, if you must know…."

"And they must," I cut in with a shrug.

"I'm going to do something for my father, and Alex is helping me," he went on. The two of them just looked at him, knowing there was more. "Okay, Trader Johann is bringing something for him. Something important and he should have been here by now.

"You're not trading this fish, are you?" Snotlout asked with a mouthful of fish. "Because it's delicious." Hookfang than came out of nowhere and ate the fish right from his hands. "Hey!" Snotlout snapped his fingers and Hookfang regurgitated the fish into his waiting hand. I had to look away in disgust when Snotlout ate it.

"When do we leave?" Astrid asked.

"Only me and Alex are going," Hiccup replied with a shake of his head. "If we all disappear, my dad might get suspicious."

"Go alone? You? Without us?" Snotlout started laughing. "Like you could handle anything if we weren't there to bail you—" He started choking on his salmon after laughing so much. This time it was my turn to laugh when Astrid punched him in the stomach. "—Out," he finished in a wheezing voice.

"Don't you think your dad will get suspicious if you _and_ Alex are gone?" Astrid asked with a raised eyebrow. Hiccup and I exchanged looks when she asked that. I hadn't even thought of it. But Stoick had never gotten suspicious before, as far as I was concerned.

"We should be fine," Hiccup replied. Astrid just folded her arms and rolled her eyes. Finally Hiccup groaned in annoyance before changing plans, "Alright, you two can come, but that's it. Don't even tell the others. Heed my warning. I am serious."

A few minutes passed before we took off flying. Needless to say, Hiccup was not happy. Snotlout and Astrid flew behind us while Hiccup took the lead. And it didn't take long for news to spread like wildfire among the teens.

"Hey Hiccup?" a voice asked from behind. Hiccup turned in time to see Ruffnut and Tuffnut flying on Barf and Belch. Sure enough Meatlug and Fishlegs were there too. "Snotlout told us that there would be smoked salmon, and I love lox." Hiccup sighed and looked over at Snotlout.

"I'm pretty sure I said, 'Don't tell the others'," he groaned.

"And I'm pretty sure I didn't listen to you," Snotlout retorted.

"Hiccup, aren't you always saying that it's better when we work as a team?" Fishlegs asked.

"Yeah, next time I say that, slap me in the face," Hiccup muttered.

"I'll do it right now!" Ruffnut volunteered.

"She will," Tuffnut added. "And she slaps just like a guy! It's awesome. Watch." Ruffnut eagerly slapped him across the face. "Yeah!"

"Hey, look!" Astrid yelled, pointing ahead.

"At what? I can't see anything past these tears," Tuffnut replied.

We all looked in that direction. And sure enough there was what looked like the remains of a boat. My eyes narrowed when I saw a familiar figure laying unconscious on a wooden plank.

"Is that…. Johann?" Hiccup asked in disbelief.

"I thought he had a ship bigger than that," Snotlout added.

"Come on gang, let's go check it out."

We flew down as Toothless grabbed Johann with his talons, before heading off to somewhere safe we could land. Something told me that nothing good could come out of this. Moments later and we reached a rocky island. Johann was awake now and shook nervously.

"The fog…. The fog…." Johann started stuttering on his words.

"Is he alright?" Hiccup looked at the group for anything helpful. Trader Johann was looking off in the distance, with wide, terrified eyes. Either he was just having a daymare (which could happen), or he saw something traumatic.

"Physically I'd say he's fine," I replied after giving him a thorough check. "But mentally…. It's like something spooked the heck out of him."

"Well, let's see if he can answer some questions," Astrid suggested.

"Johann, where's your ship?" Hiccup asked.

"No idea," Johann replied rather quickly. "All I know is one minute I was sailing in perfectly calm sea, the wind at my back. And the next thing I know, my entire ship is pulled out from under me and I'm shark bait!"

"I don't understand." Hiccup shook his head in confusion.

"I do. I was three days late and trying to make up time, and I got too close," Johann explained, still jittery as ever.

"Too close to what?" Fishlegs asked.

"Too close to…." Trader Johann paused as if the word was a vial thing. "…. Breakneck Bog."

"Breakneck Bog?" we all asked at the same time.

"Uh, quick question, what _is_ Breakneck Bog?" I asked this time.

There were still so many things I needed to learn. Like the islands around Berk. And the names of said islands. Maybe it was time to hit the library again for a quick geography lesson.

"Many a ship has sailed through its waters," Fishlegs explained in a nervous voice. "Few have returned."

"My grandfather told me that it's pirates," Astrid added.

"That's ridiculous," Snotlout scoffed. "Everyone knows that it's haunted by a giant fog monster."

"Fog monster?" Now Fishlegs was really getting scared.

"The legend says the fog monster makes this really creepy moan," Tuffnut said. I rolled my eyes when he started moaning. Fishlegs was already jumpy enough. "Then, he surrounds you and scrapes the skin off your bones." Fishlegs shrieked after that. "And then he scrapes the bones off of whatever's under those."

"And then it drops the bones from the sky," Ruffnut added.

"Yes. It's true what they says. It-it surrounded me!" Johann stammered once again.

"See?" Snotlout asked with a smirk. "Fog monsters? Pirates?" He chuckled as Astrid narrowed her eyes. "Stupid grandfather."

"There's obviously no such thing as a fog monster," I muttered with another roll of my eyes.

Though I wouldn't admit that this 'fog monster' sounded a lot like ghosts. Now those, I _did_ believe in. I blame it on too much television in my world. Watched too many paranormal shows about ghost hunters trying to prove their existence.

"So you don't believe in ghosts or monsters?" Snotlout asked as if I was crazy. Which I probably was.

"Of course not," I replied in a firm tone.

"You wanna bet?" All I did was fold my arms and glare.

"Guys, enough with the fog monster," Hiccup muttered and headed over to Johann. "Johann, we need to find your ship. There's something on it for my father."

"Yes, yes, yes, there was," Johann replied with a nod. Then he looked up at Hiccup. "But it wasn't for your father. It was meant for you."

"For me?" Hiccup asked in confusion. "From who?"

"He didn't tell you?" Trader Johann looked at him in surprise. "It was from your mother." Hiccup's eyes widened in disbelief.

"My mother?" He nearly choked on those words.

"That's impossible!" Astrid exclaimed.

"No wonder Stoick was so desperate to get it back," I murmured with a shake of my head.

"What is it?" Hiccup asked.

"I have no idea, lad," Johann replied. "I just know that it's a large chest with the Berk crest on it."

Sudden understanding lit in my eyes. That would explain why Stoick wanted to keep it a secret. He was probably hoping to surprise Hiccup with the chest. It made me realize just how much I missed my own mom.

"I have to find it. Take us back there. You show us where you lost your ship," Hiccup ordered.

"No!" Johann suddenly cried, crawling away from Hiccup. "No, I won't! You can't make me!" He started getting up as obvious fear showed in his eyes. "I have a knife in me boot!" The twins looked at Johann excitedly when he said that. "Okay, I don't have a knife in me boot," he muttered. The twins looked away in disappointment, as if the idea of something sharp would make this trip more exciting. "But no more fog, please!"

"Alright," Hiccup sighed in annoyance. "Just tell me how to find Breakneck bog."

"Head due east," Johann replied all too eagerly. "There's a group of island shaped like a man's hand. Breakneck bog is the thumb."

"Snotlout, you and the twins take him back to Berk." Snotlout looked at Hiccup in annoyance after hearing that.

"Back to Berk? With this clown and those clowns?" he asked, pointing to Johann and the twins.

"Would you look at him? We don't have a choice," Hiccup replied while gesturing to a trembling Johann. "And if anything happens, you'll be glad to have them with you," he added to Johann.

"Question," Fishlegs piped up. "Where are the rest of us going?"

"Breakneck bog," I replied as Hiccup nodded in agreement. Fishlegs whimpered at the name.

...

Once Snotlout and the twins had taken Johann back to Berk, we headed out to Breakneck bog. As we flew Fishlegs tried changing Hiccup's mind. I've known Hiccup only for a year now, but I already knew that once his mind was up, it was almost impossible to change.

"What if I gave you something from my mother?" Fishlegs asked in a pleading tone. "Or I could _give_ you my mother. You know you love her crab cakes." I rolled my eyes once again at the desperation in Fishlegs' voice.

'_The fog_! _The fog_!' Snowfire suddenly started chanting. I tried not to smirk as Astrid flew in closer and did the same. Fishlegs only jumped at the sound of their voices, looking even more nervous, if that was possible.

"Tears, guys," Fishlegs muttered. "Is that what you want to see?"

"Look, there it is!" Hiccup exclaimed, pointing ahead. Sure enough the islands actually did look like someone's hand. It even had five smaller islands that looked like the fingers of a hand.

"Breakneck bog," Fishlegs breathed.

We flew down to the island that looked like the thumb. Once we landed on the island we saw nothing that looked like Johann's ship. Though it didn't help that the island was rather large. With lots of dead and eerie looking trees.

"I don't get it," Hiccup murmured. "We flew all around the island. No ship."

"Not even the remains of a ship," I added.

"You know what would take a ship?" Fishlegs asked nervously. "A fog monster."

'_There is no such thing as a fog monster_,' Snowfire snapped with a roll of her eyes. That was when a moan sounded coming from the forest.

"Then what was that?" Fishlegs asked.

"Probably just the wind," I suggested with a shrug.

"Only one way to find out," Hiccup said. With that being said, we walked through the forest. I may have been terrified when I first woke up in this world, but in my defense I had no idea where I was, and I was alone. But this was nothing compared to that.

"Wait a minute!" Fishlegs called and looked at us like we were crazy. "You don't go towards the weird, crazy sound."

"Yeah we do," Astrid replied in an eerie voice. "We always do." She was loving this. I could see the grin in her eyes as she walked confidently ahead. Fishlegs just whimpered a little more before following us.

"I hate that about us," he murmured.

"Ah come on, Fishlegs," I nudged him playfully as we walked further ahead. "You're not afraid of a little old ghost story, are you?"

"Ghost stories, no. But monsters, yes," Fishlegs replied.

I tried not to laugh at the look he gave me as the dragons joined us. Snowfire walked behind me, keeping an eye out for danger with Toothless close behind Hiccup. Then Fishlegs stopped in his tracks when he saw something under his feet.

"Ugh. Bones. That's just perfect," Fishlegs groaned.

'_They would be better with meat on them_,' Snowfire hummed after giving them a sniff. I patted her on the shoulder as we walked ahead.

Astrid was leading the group when suddenly Stormfly grabbed her and pulled her away. My eyes widened in horror as an axe flew down where Astrid had been seconds ago. Following where the axe had fallen, I looked on in surprise at the sight of Johann's ship. To everyone's surprise it was stuck in a tree.

"Trader Johann's ship," I whispered in amazement.

"Wow, he really got off course," Hiccup said with the slightest smirks.

"Yeah, no kidding," Astrid added.

"Fog monster," Fishlegs suddenly chimed in. We all just stared at him with blank looks.

"Let's get up there," Hiccup said, getting on Toothless.

'_Something is not right_,' Snowfire suddenly growled.

"Come on," I sighed as I climbed into her saddle. We flew up to the ship, but none of the other dragons would move any closer. Instead they flew off until they were a safe distance away from the ship.

"They're afraid," Fishlegs said. "And they're dragons. So we should be asking ourselves, what are we doing?"

"They're not afraid," Astrid muttered in annoyance.

"He's right. The ship isn't going to hold them," Hiccup explained. "We have to jump down and send our dragons below."

"Great. That's just perfect," Fishlegs groaned.

'_Be careful, little one_,' Snowfire told me with a nudge. I nodded before jumping down onto the ship, just as Hiccup and Astrid did the same. We landed without a problem, but Fishlegs had crashed right on to the ship. While Astrid helped Fishlegs up, Hiccup turned to look at Toothless while I gave the signal.

"Ground." The one good thing about being able to bond with dragons; they actually listened to you. Even without the use of hand signals. Fortunately the dragons all landed on the ground just after Hiccup had signaled for Toothless to do the same.

"Stay where you can hear daddy," Fishlegs called over the ship's ledge.

"Okay, so let's just find this thing and get out of here," Hiccup said after looking back at us. "We're looking for a chest with the Berk crest on it." Then suddenly a bone landed on the deck in front of us, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Uh, care to explain that?" Fishlegs asked after nearly jumping out of his skin.

"Wish we could," I muttered as more bones began to fall.

"Everyone below deck!" Astrid cried as she took cover. We all ran for the deck down below until the bones had stopped falling.

"Now I know what it's like to be in a horror movie." Everyone gave me weird looks when I said that.

"Ah. It's just a little… bone shower," Hiccup tried reasoning, though even I could see the doubt in his eyes. "And it passed."

"Bone shower?" Fishlegs repeated, looking at us in disbelief. "Am I the only one who thinks that's weird?"

"Um…." Astrid started raising her hand while I just shrugged. Honestly, after waking up in this world it wasn't the craziest thing I've heard.

"Eh, okay, it's a little weird," Hiccup muttered. That was when we heard scraping from above deck. My heart nearly skipped a beat at the sound. This was exactly what happened in those ghost hunting shows. Weird, unexplained noises and shadowy mists appearing out of nowhere. God I hoped this wasn't the case.

"So is that," Fishlegs said in a whisper.

"Maybe it's just a bird," I whispered in a hopeful voice. The scraping suddenly got louder. "A very big bird."

"Okay, let's just start looking for the chest, quickly," Hiccup said. "That really doesn't sound like friendly scraping."

We all went off in different directions to look through Trader Johann's stuff. Astrid and I were sorting through the objects while Fishlegs had backed into a wall, trembling with fear. Seconds later and he let out a scream.

The two of us looked up from our work to see that Fishlegs had backed into a skeletal hand. I was struggling not to laugh when I saw the look of horror on his face. Fishlegs wasn't the really best choice for a mission like this. But he had better control over his attitude than Snotlout or the twins.

"Fishlegs, I found it," Hiccup announced. Sure enough he was holding on to a small wooden chest. The crest of Berk was smack on the middle of it.

"Oh, thank Thor," Fishlegs sighed in relief. "There was a hand. No Skin. All scrapped off."

"Fishlegs, I'm sure that it was nothing serious," I tried reassuring him. And of course that's when the footsteps sounded heavier, and the moans started.

"Uh, Alex, can I ask you something?" Fishlegs asked nervously.

"Sure." This was getting a bit unnerving. Knowing that something big and dangerous was up there left my mind reeling with unease.

"Did you ever hear your imagination walking and moaning?" Fishlegs' question made me look at him in annoyance.

"Well, when I was younger I used to," I replied with another shrug. This time I did laugh at the look Fishlegs gave me. "Okay, joking. No, I really hope we don't have to see it."

"It's coming after us!" Astrid suddenly yelled in alarm.

"Hide!" Hiccup whispered. Fortunately we found a nearby closet to hide in. It was big enough for all of us to fit in, and once Fishlegs had run inside, I closed the door just enough that we could peer through the crack. "Nobody… breathe."

We all held our breaths as the creature got closer. By now I had to fully close the door as it got closer.

"I just want you to know that I love you guys," Fishlegs whispered. We all gave him strange looks as he shrunk back. Then the closet suddenly opened. I think my heart nearly stopped for a second when everyone screamed.

Fortunately it didn't last long when they realized who had opened the door. Snotlout was standing in front of us, wearing some kind of necklace. Tuffnut was holding a skeletal hand that scared Fishlegs even more.

"Hey guys, need a hand?" Tuffnut asked with a chuckle. Astrid growled before jumping onto Tuffnut, pinning him to the floor. She then grabbed the skeletal hand he was holding and slapped him with it. "Ruffnut, do something!" he called for help. I was smothering my laughter as Ruffnut did do something. She grabbed the hand from Astrid and started slapping her brother.

"All right, all right, break it up, you guys," Hiccup said. Ruffnut looked up in surprise while Astrid took the hand and slapped Tuffnut one last time. Hiccup then turned towards Snotlout. "So let me get this straight, this was all you. The bones, the scraping?"

"That's right," Snotlout replied with a laugh. "And this was all you. Ooh! Ah! Eek!" I grabbed the skeletal hand from Astrid and slapped Snotlout across the face.

"You nearly gave us heart attacks," I snapped.

"Why would you do that?" Hiccup demanded after muttering under his breath about not believing what he was hearing. "What were you _thinking_?" Snotlout was still rubbing his nose after I tossed the hand aside before he spoke again.

"That I was going to make you pay for sticking me with Trader Johann," he retorted.

"Where is he?" Hiccup asked.

"Don't worry about him. He's fine," Snotlout replied.

"So you took him back to Berk?" I asked.

"Not… exactly."

"Just so you know, I'm not forgetting this," Astrid said in a dangerously low voice. She picked up the skeletal hand before pointing it at Snotlout's fresh bruise mark.

"And I'll make sure Snowfire doesn't either," I added with a smirk.

"Also, what's with that stupid necklace?" Astrid asked.

"You likey?" Snotlout asked. "Yeah, a little something I found above deck," he explained. "I can grab one for you if you want."

Suddenly the ship began to shake, and the branches holding it snapped. All of us were lifted off our feet as we screamed. Basically it was like being on a ride at the carnival. Only this had no protection as it landed on the ground with a massive thud. I held back a groan as I struggled back to my feet.

"Is everyone okay?" Hiccup asked.

"Define okay?" I muttered crossly. Then a moan sounded; and of course it sounded like it was coming towards us.

"Run!" We all ran up towards the hatch that led to the upper deck. Once we were out a fog began to pour into the ship.

"Just so you know, this fog, is not us," Snotlout said as we started to group together.

"For once, I wish it was," I replied.

"Okay, I'll admit it. Starting to come around to the fog monster theory," Hiccup said with equal fear and uneasiness.

Then the fog covered us as we all screamed. Once the fog dissolved I spotted Fishlegs clinging on to Snotlout's back for dear life. Snotlout looked at him with a disappointing scowl. "H-Hi," Fishlegs stammered before Snotlout threw him off his back.

"We're alive, right?" Ruffnut asked. Tuffnut flicked his finger at her. "Ow!" Ruffnut proceeded to punching her brother in the stomach.

"Can we please get out of here now?" I asked as my nerves started to crack. This place was freaking everyone out. Then I noticed that the chest Hiccup was holding earlier was gone.

"Wait. The chest, it – it's gone! I just had it!" he gasped.

"Too bad, so sad. See you back on Berk," Tuffnut replied as he, his sister, Fishlegs and Snotlout headed for their dragons.

"Meatlug, oh! Oh, I missed you, Meatlug!" Fishlegs sighed in relief after climbing onto Meatlug's back. "Don't worry. Daddy's taking you home."

Just as they started heading out, we got above deck to watch them leave.

"You guys go on. I have to find that chest," Hiccup told us.

"Do what you got to do. See you when we see you," Snotlout replied quickly.

"Hold on guys, that chest is from his mom," I reminded them.

"Yeah, touching story. Gotta go," Tuffnut said.

"Put yourselves in his shoes," Astrid snapped.

"Shoe," Snotlout pointed out.

"Whatever," I muttered with a roll of my eyes. "The point is, I know what it's like losing my mother. How would you feel if it was yours?" That made them stop in their tracks. They thought about what I said before glaring at me.

"I hate you," Snotlout muttered crossly. Then he looked at Hiccup. "This does not mean we're really friends," he added.

"Thank you, guys. I mean it," Hiccup replied with a smile. I hadn't missed the look of surprise he gave me when I mentioned my own mom. "Now let's go find that fog monster."

...

All of us were searching for the fog monster now. Something told me that there was more to it than that though. Snowfire had already warned us that something wasn't right. That there was something else involved with the ship's wreckage.

"There it is!" Astrid exclaimed, pointing towards something moving down below.

I leaned forward and sure enough, there was a fog monster down below. But something was odd about the way it moved. For starters it was moving way too fast to be ordinary fog. And it was moving in an odd way, almost like something or someone was controlling it's direction.

"Is it just me, or does fog not move like that at all?" Hiccup asked after watching it too.

"I'm pretty sure it doesn't," I replied with a shake of my head. This didn't make any sense. We flew closer to the fog when it suddenly split in two.

"There's two of them?" Snotlout yelled.

"Astrid!" Hiccup called, pointing to the right.

"On it!"

Astrid then flew towards the right, with Snotlout and the twins following her. Fishlegs and I flew with Hiccup as we chased the fog monster on the left. It wasn't long before we lost sight of it. Astrid's group had disappeared into a canyon before emerging on the other side.

"We lost it," Hiccup said when we met up again.

"So did we," Astrid replied in a grim voice. We landed on the ground below, but Snowfire was still uncomfortable with her surroundings.

'_We should not be here_,' she suddenly hissed.

"Easy, we don't know what's out there," I murmured while patting her on the shoulder.

'_Which is exactly why we should not be here_,' she retorted, this time looking at me in annoyance. '_Why do you hatchlings never listen_?' I was ready to argue when Tuffnut cut me off.

"Uh, it didn't lose us," he announced while looking ahead.

I followed what he was looking at to see the fog headed right for our direction. Once it got close enough the fog began to surround us. Snowfire let out another growl before flying up to flap her wings.

"What are they doing?" Ruffnut asked.

"They're leaving us," Tuffnut replied.

"I knew Hookfang never liked me," Snotlout whimpered.

'_This is no ordinary fog_,' Snowfire warned me as the fog began to dissolve.

"They're not going anywhere," I reassured them after realizing what the dragons were doing.

"Alex is right; they're just blowing the fog away," Hiccup said when he noticed what I was looking at.

Once the fog had dissolved we found ourselves surrounded by small smoky gray dragons. What surprised me the most though was that smoke was frothing from their mouths. They were not happy that we had invaded their territory. Now I suddenly understood why Snowfire was so worried.

"They're dragons," Astrid whispered in amazement.

"Yeah, angry ones," Snotlout added as the little dragon hissed angrily at him.

"That's because we're on their territory," I couldn't help but say. "That's what Snowfire was trying to tell me."

'_And as usual you would not listen_,' she muttered crossly.

"Well, look on the bright side, Fishlegs. No fog monster," Hiccup said in a sheepish voice.

"I feel so much better now," Fishlegs replied, sounding more anxious than ever now.

"So, how exactly are we going to deal with these guys?" I asked as one of them looked curiously at me.

"What are those things?" Ruffnut asked as the dragon looking at me broke it's concentration.

"They must have created the fog to look like some kind of menacing monster to scare predators away," Hiccup explained.

"They're like smoky dragon pirates without the eye patches," Tuffnut chimed in.

"Smothering Smokebreath dragons," Fishlegs suddenly gasped. We all gave him weird looks at that. "What?"

"You knew about these things?" Snotlout demanded angrily.

"Well I read about them," Fishlegs replied, holding his hands up in defense. "I didn't believe they actually existed!"

"Kind of like the White Terror," I said with a smirk.

"And you went with fog monster instead?" Astrid asked in disbelief.

"Guys, can we talk about this later?" Hiccup muttered. He then turned back to Fishlegs, "What else did the book say?"

"They hide themselves in a veil of smoke…." Fishlegs began. He started counting on his fingers at the things Snowfire had already pointed out, "They're very territorial and…." He paused after giving it some thought before looking at us with worry. "Uh, I forget the third thing."

At that moment the Smothering Smokebreath dragons attacked. Hiccup hopped onto Toothless as he began firing plasma blasts at them. Snowfire swatted a few away with her tail while another tried jumping at me. Fortunately, much to my surprise, they didn't attack. Instead they gave me a cautious sniff before attacking the others. Astrid was wrestling with one until Stormfly managed to whack it away with her tail. Hookfang was firing a stream of flames at them to keep them away. Two Smothering Smokebreaths had grabbed Tuffnut by the arms and tried dragging him away. Barf and Belch pulled him by the legs and dragged him back down.

Snotlout and Fishlegs tried running away, but the Smothering Smokebreaths only blocked their paths. They flew back down to join the others.

"There's too many of them, let's fall back!" Hiccup yelled as they started surrounding us.

"Uh…. Fall back where?" Tuffnut asked.

"Give us a fire line!"

"Don't have to ask us twice." Barf shot out some gas and Belch sparked it shortly after, creating a wall of flames that covered the Smothering Smokebreaths in smoke. While they were distracted we took the chance to fly off until we were at a safe distance.

"What are we doing?" Fishlegs yelled. "Why are we still here?"

"I can't leave here without that chest," Hiccup insisted.

"You don't even know if they have it!" Snotlout retorted.

'_They do_,' Snowfire said with narrowed eyes. I followed her gaze and watched as the Smothering Smokebreaths carried Trader Johann's anchor away. They then flew into a cave in the cliff wall.

"I have a pretty good idea," Hiccup said after watching them. "Let's get a closer look."

Moments later and we were back at the canyon where we first saw them. It didn't take me long to understand why the dragons had taken the anchor. My guess was they liked taking metal. Kind of like a certain Steel type Pokemon I used to love.

"Fishlegs? Anything else you'd like to share with us?" Hiccup asked after looking over his shoulder.

"Unfortunately yes. The third thing: The Smothering Smokebreaths build their nests out of metallic objects," Fishlegs explained.

"Well, wouldn't surprise me," I muttered with a shrug. "In my world there are legends about dragons protecting gold and other types of treasure."

"Do you think there's any treasure in there?" Snotlout asked in excitement.

"Don't get any ideas," Astrid snapped.

"I wish I could see in there," Hiccup sighed.

"Yeah you do," Tuffnut replied. I rolled my eyes as he laughed, holding on to a spyglass.

"Where'd you get that?" Hiccup asked.

"Duh. From the ship or whatever that was in the tree," Tuffnut explained as if it were obvious.

Hiccup snatched the spyglass out of his hands and groaned in annoyance. A moment of awkward silence followed as he watched what they were doing. I could barely see, but it looked like they were melting the metal together into one giant nest.

"They're melting them all together," Hiccup explained after observing them for a while. Then he noticed something in the distance. "The chest! It's in there! We've got to get them away from that pile of loot."

"Maybe we could lure them away," I suggested.

"With what?" Hiccup asked. We then heard Snotlout whistling as he tried polishing his necklace.

"Ooh, shiny," he marveled at his work. Snotlout stopped when he realized we were watching with grins on our faces; he let out a nervous laugh. "What?"

It took a lot of convincing to throw Snotlout into the line of fire. Thankfully Astrid and I managed to ware him down before he jumped out into the open. The one thing we had in common: We both hated Snotlout's obnoxiousness.

"Here, dragons! I've got something for you! Over here. Come get it!" Snotlout shouted, waving his arms like a madman. The Smothering Smokebreaths started chasing after him as he fled out of the cave. "I'm going to make Hiccup eat that chest!" I heard him mutter once he left.

"Quickly, those things will be done with Snotlout any second now," Hiccup advised.

Astrid and I followed Hiccup as we flew towards the cave on our dragons. Unfortunately Snowfire didn't make things any easier as she looked around warily.

'_This place is not safe_,' she muttered after observing her surroundings. We hovered there and waited as Hiccup climbed on the metal that was welded together by the Smothering Smokebreaths. It amazed me that they knew how to do that.

"Uh, guys, they're coming," Astrid warned us as she kept lookout.

"Hiccup, look out!" I called as the Smothering Smokebreaths surrounded us. Hiccup had managed to grab the chest, but the Smothering Smokebreaths had already caught up with him.

"Toothless!" he yelled. Toothless jumped up and used his wings to blow the smoke away once more. Once Hiccup had climbed onto Toothless we searched for an opening in the cave.

"Hiccup! Don't leave me!" Snotlout's voice cried. I turned just in time to see Snotlout getting pinned down by a couple of Smothering Smokebreaths. This time I had to laugh when they tried welding down the necklace he still wore.

"Great," Hiccup muttered with a roll of his eyes. "Toothless, plasma blast." Toothless turned around and fired several plasma blasts that scared away the Smothering Smokebreaths, causing them to scatter. Once Snotlout was on Toothless' back they headed for the exit once more.

Of course Snotlout would still have the necklace. That's what they were after as they followed. One of them had even tried grabbing it from Snotlout's neck.

"Snotlout, would you give up the necklace already?" I demanded in a groan.

"No! It's my shiny," Snotlout replied defensively.

"Well, it's you or your shiny!" Hiccup snapped.

Snotlout looked back at the Smothering Smokebreaths before taking off his necklace. At last they grabbed it and flew back into the cave. My shoulders sagged in relief once they were gone.

"Hookfang!" Snotlout shouted. Hookfang flew down and grabbed him before throwing him into the air. Snotlout landed on his neck without a hitch.

We kept on flying, but of course the Smothering Smokebreaths continued following us. "Anything you have that's metal, throw it!" Astrid ordered.

Everyone had thrown their weapons down as the Smokebreaths caught them. I was still trying to figure out how they managed to hide it all. Luckily that was enough to draw them away as they retreated back to their cave. Snotlout looked over his shoulder one last time and looked relieved.

"We did it!" he shouted. That was when I noticed too late the Smokebreath flying straight for Hiccup. It didn't take me long to realize why.

"Hiccup!" I cried.

Hiccup noticed it as well, but by than it was too late. The Smothering Smokebreath had caught up with him, and latched on to his prosthetic leg. I couldn't help but wince as it yanked his leg from the stirrup, causing Toothless to fall in a deadly spiral nosedive.

Fortunately Fishlegs had come in out of nowhere on Meatlug. The Smothering Smokebreath was sent flying into a wall when Meatlug slammed into it, freeing Hiccup's leg.

"You will not haunt my dreams!" Fishlegs shouted after the retreating dragon. "Because I'll never sleep again," he quietly added.

'_It's about time we leave_,' Snowfire hummed as we headed for Berk, this time with the chest.

...

"I was afraid that I might forget her," Hiccup admitted as we flew side by side. It was later that evening when Hiccup discovered what was in that chest. And much to my surprise it was a stuffed dragon. A stuffed dragon that his mother had made.

"You're mother would be proud of you," I said with a smile. Hiccup looked stunned at my remark, but than a smile spread across his face. We flew on through the night, for once happy about what may lie ahead.

Most people are afraid of things they don't understand. For me, it was the fear of losing everyone I cared about. But I knew that deep down, they were safe. My heart belonged in two worlds, and for that I considered myself lucky. I had no regrets in choosing this world over mine.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Finally updated! And sorry for the delay. Anywho, I actually thought this episode was really cool, especially since they were hinting at the fact that Hiccup's mom might still be alive, despite what everyone thinks. Onto review replies!<strong>

**silverwolvesarecool - Yep, he definitely needs to have his feet frozen solid. He could ice skate for the rest of his life :P But yeah, I'll definitely be leading this into the second movie. But it may be a while before that actually happens.**

**HTTYD Obsessed - Me too! I'm looking forward to writing it. And I didn't know about that :( Now I wish I had a Netflix account. Unfortunately I don't so... I guess I'll have to wait until I can watch them online somewhere...**

**69759 - XD I know right? Only in cartoons can they get away with saying stuff like that ;) Technically Alex doesn't know the difference between this world or the real world, because to her the world she's in now would seem as real as the real world. Kind of confusing, I know. But I'm glad I could give you ideas ^^**


	33. We Are Family Part I

**Chapter Thirty Three**

Vikings have a strong sense of community. Or so I've been told. It's important for us to be part of that family, and to celebrate a strong connection. However that isn't exactly easy for someone who technically doesn't have any family. I left my mom behind back in my world, and I had no clue what my dad was up to. I was still suspicious with the fact that he might actually be in this world as well. But, I'm getting off subject.

Once a year Berk celebrates a guy named Bork the Bold. Apparently, he's the one who wrote the Book of Dragons. It's a big deal considering no one has ever dared try such a task. The Vikings of Berk call this celebration Bork Week.

And sure enough said Vikings were setting up for the celebration. Of course we wouldn't be helping out. Instead we were all gathered at the cove, waiting for Hiccup and Fishlegs to test their new idea that they came up with together.

I closed my eyes and thought back to where Snowfire was hiding. The other dragons were doing the same. It was part of the test. But the one thing that made Snowfire different, was that she could sense where I was. It wasn't just the fact that we were somehow connected.

White Terrors were still so new to the Vikings. They were still learning new traits and abilities that had never been seen before. Like how Snowfire was able to communicate with us through her mind. Or that she could breathe fire _and_ ice. Suddenly Hiccup started howling like a dragon, shaking me from my thoughts.

"_That's_ why you brought us here?" Snotlout demanded in annoyance. "To honk into the wind?"

"Just wait, Snotlout," Fishlegs replied with a sheepish grin.

"Might as well sit and wait," I added as I folded my arms. Dragons had a good sense of hearing. Usually. It wouldn't take long for them to recognize their rider's call.

"Dragon calls. Whatever," Snotlout scoffed. Then he pulled out his Thawfest metal, as if that would make things better for him. Which in his case, they might. For some reason guys like Snotlout were so easily distracted by shiny objects.

"Uh, guys?" Hiccup called in confusion. I noticed what Hiccup was looking at after glaring at Snotlout. The twins were out in the distance. And much to my amusement, they were following the light that Snotlout's metal created on the ground like cats.

"Idiots," Snotlout sneered.

"Snotlout, really?" I glared at him as he just laughed.

"So stupid," he chuckled, ignoring me.

"Seriously?" Hiccup was glaring at him now, and that seemed to catch his attention.

"What? It's fun!" Snotlout protested. He than noticed the look Hiccup was giving him and groaned. "Fine," he muttered before putting his metal away. The moment he did the twins looked around in confusion.

"Ugh, gone again," Tuffnut muttered. Hiccup looked at them in confusion before shaking his head. I elbowed Snotlout when he rolled his eyes in annoyance at the howling that followed.

"And nothing," Snotlout said with a triumphant smirk. "Can we go now?" At that moment we all heard the roar of a dragon, followed by the familiar screech of Snowfire.

"You were saying?" I asked with a grin. Toothless than landed in front of us out of nowhere. Snowfire landed beside him before nudging me affectionately. "It's good to see you too," I laughed as she stepped back.

"Fine," Snotlout grumbled. "I hate to admit it. But that was pretty cool."

"Not as cool as the disappearing shiny thing," Tuffnut piped up. "You can never catch it."

"Fishlegs, you want to show us your dragon call?" Hiccup asked.

"I thought you'd never ask," Fishlegs replied in a proud voice. "The call of the Gronckle is unique in itself," he began as he joined us. "Raw, guttural, intense, yet with a subtle lilt." I couldn't hide my smirk even if I wanted to. Fishlegs was always trying to prove how useful the Gronckle was. Though I will admit, Meatlug does have her cute moments at times.

"Just go already," Snotlout snapped. Fishlegs did just that. He made a few growling noises before Meatlug finally flew down towards us.

"Well done, Fishlegs," Hiccup congratulated.

"Oh, I'm not done yet," Fishlegs cut in. "Watch this." He started growling in a deeper voice, making Snowfire wince every now and than as she stood behind me.

"I don't even want to know what part of his body that came from," Tuffnut said. His face was twisted in disgust, a look that matched his sister's. "Or do I?" After the growl Fishlegs looked exhausted.

"I've got to take a knee," he muttered after falling on one knee. My eyes widened in surprise as a herd of Gronckles started flying over us.

"Wow, nice herd," Tuffnut noted as they flew past.

"Be home for dinner! You're having granite!" Fishlegs called as Meatlug joined the herd of Gronckles. "That's her favorite."

"Okay. Anyone want to beat that?" Hiccup asked. I glanced at Snowfire as she just rolled her eyes.

'_I doubt any human could match my call_,' she snorted. To which I just rolled my eyes as well before nodding in agreement. Snowfire did have a unique cry. I wasn't sure where it came from or how she managed to create that call, but no other dragon had been able to copy it, as far as I was aware.

"I'll go," Astrid replied after an awkward silence followed. She took a step forward before making a howling noise, similar to the roar of a Deadly Nadder. We watched with interest as seconds later, a herd of Deadly Nadders flew towards us.

"Nice," I commented with a smile. Stormfly was flying with the herd as well. "You sounded just like her." Astrid only grinned as pride showed in her eyes.

"Uh, I have an important question," Tuffnut announced. Hiccup sighed in annoyance before turning to face him.

"Is it actually important this time?" he asked.

"Uh…. Yeah. It always is," Tuffnut replied hesitantly. "Like, why are we doing this anyway? I don't get it."

"Well, first of all, you never know when you'll be separated from your dragon," Hiccup began after Tuffnut shrugged. "And the only way to communicate with it is to call it."

"Or just let them read your mind," I put in with a glance at Snowfire. She shuffled her wings before looking away, as if embarrassed to be put on the spotlight.

"Right," Hiccup nodded in agreement.

"Sorry, didn't get it," Tuffnut muttered with another shrug.

"Second of all, it's Bork Week, and my dad asked us to put on a dragon air parade," Hiccup added.

"Why do we care about this Bork guy anyway?" Ruffnut asked. "Wasn't he a dragon killer?"

"Hey– Bork only killed dragons in self defense," Fishlegs replied. "He studied them, learned about them, lived and breathed them."

"And without him there would be no Book of Dragons," Hiccup added.

"And without the Book of Dragons there would be no—" Fishlegs began, but Snotlout cut him off.

"Reason for you to live?" he sneered. And of course the twins would laugh to that.

"Dragon Academy, actually," Hiccup replied. "And there would be no really cool dragon air show."

"So, when we do this really cool dragon air show, who's he going to fly with?" Snotlout asked, gesturing to Toothless.

I can't believe that asshole really went with that. Luckily Hiccup didn't take it offensively.

"I'm working on it," Hiccup muttered under his breath.

"Technically Snowfire is one of a kind too," I reminded them out of habit.

Though even I could hear the doubt in my voice as she glared at Snotlout. Would we ever find another Night Fury? Or even another White Terror?

...

Snowfire flew around the island as I watched the other dragons. Astrid had nearly mastered her flying formation with the herd of Deadly Nadders. They were flying in straight patterns along the beach as she waved them down. Nearby I spotted Snotlout trying to control the Monstrous Nightmares. Now that was an amusing sight, watching an entire group of Monstrous Nightmares trying to listen to an obnoxious guy.

"You're not at all worried about being alone, are you?" I asked as we flew back to the village. Snowfire snorted in response, creating a puff of smoke that flew right into my face.

'_I am never alone_,' she replied. '_I have you_.' Her words caught me by surprise. I never really thought of it that way.

"But who did you have before me?" I couldn't help but feel guilty after asking that. After all from what I gathered Snowfire had lived on her own before she found me. She didn't say anything to that. Instead she headed back towards the village, to where I spotted Hiccup and Toothless.

"I wish there were other Night Furies for you, bud," Hiccup sighed as Snowfire landed nearby. He nearly leaped out of his skin when he realized we'd joined them.

"If it makes you feel any better, I know the feeling," I muttered after hopping out of Snowfire's saddle. She just flicked her tail over my hair, earning a glare shortly after. "For some reason Snowfire isn't even phased by it though."

'_That is because we are not alone_,' she hummed.

"I just wish there was something we could do," he said after glancing at Toothless. I tried not to smirk when the Night Fury started rolling in the grass on his back. He didn't seem bothered by the fact that he was alone either.

"Snowfire said that they have us," I murmured thoughtfully. "But that doesn't make it any easier."

"Hiccup!" We both looked up to see Astrid flying down towards us on Stormfly. "Your father and Gobber are looking for you. Both you and Alex," she quickly added after noticing me standing beside him. "They're at the Great Hall, and they looked pretty serious."

Just something else to worry about. Wonderful.

"Yeah, great. Happy Bork week to us," Hiccup muttered with a roll of his eyes.

I had to agree with him on that one. Hopefully it wasn't anything too serious. With the stress of dealing with this parade and trying to keep everyone in line, I could use a break or two. And judging from how stressed Hiccup looked, he could too.

We arrived at the Great Hall moments later. And much to my surprise, we had a crowd waiting for us. A group of older Vikings along with Stoick, Gobber and Spitelout were gathered in the Great Hall. They talked amongst themselves until noticing we'd arrived.

"Okay, I'm officially freaking out now," I whispered after realizing how serious this was. Hiccup nodded in agreement until Stoick finally spoke up.

"Hiccup, Alex, come forward and hold out your hands," he ordered in a grim voice. Hesitantly we did as we were told, but Hiccup stopped and took a nervous step back.

"Uh, dad, Gobber, other scary looking Vikings," he began, earning the slightest smirks from me, "I'd like to say that in our defense, we cannot control Snotlout or the twins twenty four hours a day."

"This isn't about those jokers, kids," Gobber reassured us. "It's something really good!" He whispered the last part, though everyone heard it loud and clear. Stoick sighed before looking down at Hiccup.

"Now then, Hiccup, Alex, as you both know, Bork Week has begun," he explained. "The first one since we've made peace with the dragons. So it has been decided that from this moment forward, that all things dragon-related, including Bork's life's work, shall be entrusted to you and the Academy."

My eyes widened in disbelief as I exchanged looks with Hiccup. I may not know much about this Bork guy, but he was someone very important to the village. So something like this was a huge honor. A chest was placed on the table, and we were given the chance to get closer and look at it.

"This is where the Book of Dragons started," Gobber explained. Gobber opened the chest, and there were pages upon pages of information on all kinds of dragons, along with journals documenting their history. "Everything he ever wrote on the subject is in these; personal thoughts, feelings, fears, even some delicious recipes."

"Whoa. I…. I don't know what to say," Hiccup managed to say.

"This is an honor," I finally replied. "Thank you, for including me." Gobber only smiled and placed a hand on my shoulder. I couldn't help but look up and grin back. I never expected Stoick to trust me this much.

"Thank you dad. This is—" Hiccup began but Stoick cut him off.

"Son, this is a big part of our history," Stoick reminded him. "You and the dragons are a big part of our future. It's now up to you and Alex to take care of them both." He put a hand on Hiccup's shoulder before closing the chest. Gobber picked it up just as Hiccup was about to reach for it.

"Gobber!" Stoick scolded, but Gobber kept a firm grip on the chest. "Gobber!"

"Right," Gobber said after realizing what he was doing. Finally he let it go before looking at us in embarrassment. "They're yours now."

Hiccup exchanged another look with me before we left them.

...

Later that night we were at Hiccup's house, looking through the pages in the chest. It amazed me at how much detail Bork had written down. How did someone have so much time to take these notes without getting killed in the process?

"Whoa," Hiccup breathed as he eyed a piece of parchment. He then looked at me and Toothless, who was sitting behind me. "Just look at all of this. It's amazing!" Toothless then yawned, revealing that his teeth were retracted until they came out and he laid down next to me.

"I know," I added after taking a look at a page with words scribbled on it. "Some of this stuff is so old that I can barely read it."

Then I blushed in embarrassment when I realized that I was holding it upside down. In my defense I'm still getting used to the Norse language. Hiccup only smirked at me before picking up another journal and carefully flipped through it.

"These are his personal notes," he began. "Everything he ever learned about dragons is right here." He paused with a confused look until he tilted the journal in a few directions. "Along with some rather interesting sketches of his neighbors." He shuddered suddenly before closing the journal and putting it aside. "Can't unsee it."

"I wonder if there's anything in here about White Terrors?" I asked after digging through the journals. Hiccup noticed one of the journals I'd put aside and picked it up after looking at the cover. Once he opened it a few pages of folded paper had fallen out of it. "What are those pages on?"

"These papers are all on Night Fury's," Hiccup explained in amazement. He had to wave the pages around until they finally came apart. Curiosity got the better of me. I crawled over to his side and looked over his shoulder to see that he was right. "Toothless, it's all about you." Toothless looked up for a moment before laying his head back down. Like Snowfire, he didn't seem to mind being alone. "Bork didn't put any of this in the Book of Dragons."

"That's weird." I sat back and looked at the journal before glancing at Toothless. "I wonder why?" I then noticed that the pages had pictures of eggs and explained the evolution of the Night Fury.

"My studies lead me to conclude that an entire island exists teaming with Night Furies," Hiccup began reading it out loud. "I call this land the Isle of Night."

"An island… of Night Furies?" I asked doubtfully. It was possible. Given the fact that Vikings didn't explore too far from their home island, maybe there was such a place. Toothless decided at that moment to get up and join us. He began brushing against Hiccup with his head.

"Guys, we have to find that island," he announced. He tossed the pages away and rubbed Toothless' head affectionately. "We find that island, we find your family."

I couldn't help but feel some kind of doubt at that statement. But I only nodded in agreement. It was better to hope than not feel anything at all. That much I knew was true. Fortunately Hiccup didn't notice that I'd taken one of the journals in the chest.

It was a book written about dragons and their behaviors. Something that I've always been interested in. And judging by who wrote it, maybe Bork would know a thing or two about my 'gift', as some would call it. Either way it would make for an interesting read.

...

The next day we were on route to Bork's Cave. This island was full of them and I've never really done any cave exploring. Maybe in my spare time I'd have to try it someday. But for now, we were on a mission. It just took a bit of convincing to bring the others with us.

"So let me get this straight. In order to find this island, we have to check Bork's Cave?" Snotlout asked in annoyance.

"His last known residence," Fishlegs added in a voice full of awe.

"Who would live in a cave?" Astrid asked.

"Cavemen," I replied with a smirk. The look Astrid gave me was priceless. "What, nothing?" I rolled my eyes before looking on ahead. "Obviously Bork wanted some alone time," I muttered under my breath.

"Who _wouldn't_ want to live in a cave?" Tuffnut asked.

"There must be something about the Isle of Night and where we can find it," Hiccup explained.

"Bork's notes said his cave was cut into the mountain, right above Odin's shield," Fishlegs informed us.

'_I do not understand why this human would keep such information to himself_,' Snowfire suddenly growled as we flew on ahead.

"That's what I've been wondering," I told her in a whisper. "None of it makes sense." Just as I said that, Hiccup pointed towards the cave that was cut into the mountains.

"Right there! That must be it," Hiccup said. As we landed on the mountain, Tuffnut spoke up first.

"Um, so how do we know what we're looking for?"

"It's a cave," Astrid replied with a smirk. "Look for a big hole in the side of a mountain."

"Yeah, it's not that hard to spot," I added with a roll of my eyes.

"Hole. Check." I held back a groan as Tuffnut started looking around.

"Mountain, on it." Ruffnut wasn't making it any easier. The twins wandered off on Barf and Belch as they started searching for the cave.

"You know, we don't have to bring them every time," I pointed out. Then a deep moaning like call sounded. Everyone all put their hands over their ears until the sound died off. It was more the fact that it had happened that really startled me.

"What was that?" Fishlegs asked, looking in Snotlout's direction.

"That is a Changewing call, my friend," Snotlout said with a smirk. "I'm surprised you didn't know that."

"I would've if it sounded like one," Fishlegs retorted. "This is a Changewing." He then let out a high-pitched screech that made even the dragons uncomfortable.

'_Would you shut up already_?' Snowfire glared at Fishlegs as he looked at her apologetically.

"Bet you can't do the Thunderdrum," Snotlout continued taunting him.

"Puh-lease, at least make it a challenge." Fishlegs cupped his hands around his mouth before making a deep bellow, to which everyone covered their ears and glared.

"Fishlegs, quit it," Snotlout finally muttered.

"Ow!" Astrid complained, and by now even my ears were ringing.

"Okay, okay. Enough Fishlegs, that's good," Hiccup sighed after he could hear again. Fishlegs stopped and giggled like a kid in the candy shop. Toothless followed his rider, only to stop in his tracks when Hiccup noticed something. "Hey, I found an opening," he announced.

We all headed to the opening while still riding our dragons. All the while Snowfire complained about the steepness of the mountain, and that there were better things to do right now. I just rolled my eyes once again and was thankful only I could hear her complaining.

"That Bork was a dweeb, but boy, he could climb like a mountain goat," Snotlout muttered. Suddenly a loud booming sound echoed over the mountain. I stiffened at the noise, having recognized it anywhere.

"Fishlegs, I thought we agreed to ease up on the dragon calls," Hiccup said over his shoulder.

"Actually that wasn't me," Fishlegs explained. "I'm much more authentic."

'_That was a real Thunderdrum_,' Snowfire confirmed his explanation. I looked at her in surprise before seeing a Thunderdrum fly towards us. In seconds it had swooped right over us, narrowly missing crashing into us.

"You really want to tell that to it?" Astrid demanded.

"Head for the cave!" Hiccup ordered as it started attacking again. We all scrambled to the cave, but to our surprise it wasn't there anymore.

"Wait, what cave?" Ruffnut asked.

"We just saw it!" I exclaimed. "There was a hole."

"Yeah, and now the hole's gone," Tuffnut replied.

"But caves don't just disappear," I pointed out, suddenly feeling uneasy. What the hell was going on here?

"Apparently, this one does," Hiccup muttered. The Thunderdrum swooped down over us again; this time it was uncomfortably close. "Snotlout, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, see if you can find the cave opening. We'll lure the Thunderdrum away." The four of them did as they were told and went off looking. "Fishlegs, Thunderdrum call!"

"I wish you would make up your mind," Fishlegs muttered. He took some time to clear his throat until we both yelled at him. Finally he made the Thunderdrum call, and of course it started giving chase.

"I could watch this all day," I whispered with a grin. Snowfire hummed in agreement as the Thunderdrum chased Fishlegs around.

"Okay. Little help here!" Fishlegs cried.

"Go and see what you can find," Astrid said. "We'll keep this guy busy."

"What about Snotlout?" Hiccup asked, pointing towards a Changewing that was playing around with him.

"Not feeling the trust!" Snotlout's voice echoed off the mountain. Astrid flew towards the twins.

"Ruff! Tuff!" she called their names.

"On it!" Ruffnut replied.

"You're giving me the twins?" Snotlout asked in disbelief. The Changewing banged him on the side of the mountain. "Okay! I'll take the twins!" I had to laugh at the sight. Watching Snotlout get beaten up by a dragon was priceless. It was times like this I really wish I had a camera.

"Go, we'll be fine," I reassured Hiccup as he looked at us doubtfully. Fortunately Toothless flew off as the two searched for Bork's Cave. Once they were gone our attention was turned back to the Thunderdrum.

It charged straight after Fishlegs, until Astrid made a call similar to the Thunderdrum. Once the Thunderdrum headed off towards her, Fishlegs let out a sigh of relief. Astrid flew out of the way just in time as the Thunderdrum stopped in it's tracks, right in front of me.

"What are you doing?" Astrid called as we locked eye contact. The one thing I've learned about these dragons: It's to never startle them. And of course Astrid did just that. The Thunderdrum chose that moment to fly right past us and start bellowing it's sonic blasts into the mountain.

"Well that's just wonderful," I muttered under my breath. If Hiccup had found that cave than the Thunderdrum would likely attack him. It didn't take a genius to realize what the Thunderdrum was doing.

'_The hatchling will be trapped if the cave closes in on him_,' Snowfire advised me as we flew towards the Thunderdrum.

"Yeah, no kidding!" But it was too late. A rock had started caving in on itself, blocking the cave's only exit. "Hiccup's trapped!" I called after realizing what just happened.

"I'm in a tough spot myself," Snotlout said as the Changewing wrapped it's tail around his leg.

"I know you think our plan didn't work," said Tuffnut with a grin, "But believe me, the Changewing is playing right into our hands." Though it looked like he could care less about what happened to Snotlout.

The Changewing than started playing with Snotlout, using him as a yo-yo. I had to laugh at the sight. Snotlout really had a way with dragons. "Sorry, I don't believe you!" he shouted. Once he was face to face with the dragon he glared at it. "Stupid drag—" The Changewing suddenly released him before grabbing him again. Snotlout than made the mistake of punching it in the snout, this time making it angry in the process.

"Somebody call for backup?" Hiccup's voice made me jump in surprise as Meatlug fired a lava blast at the Thunderdrum.

"You made it!" I grinned as relief washed over my shoulders.

"Please don't ask me how, because I have no idea," he replied.

"You mind giving them a hand? I'll help Snotlout," I said as the Thunderdrum charged after Fishlegs. Hiccup nodded in agreement and had Toothless fire a plasma blast at the Thunderdrum. Once he took over, Snowfire flew over to where Snotlout was. "Awe, you made a new friend."

I smirked as Snotlout glared back and tried offering some Dragon Nip to the Changewing. It only held on to Snotlout and sneezed the grass right back into his face. Unfortunately it also dropped Snotlout in the process. As he fell down into the canyon, Hookfang flew by just in time to catch him.

"Now that's how you rescue somebody!" Snotlout shouted, glaring at the twins as they just watched on.

"Hey, everything went exactly as planned," Tuffnut said.

"Yeah, keep the Changewing busy until someone shows up," Ruffnut added.

"Good boy," I cooed as the Changewing licked me on the cheek and flew off. Snotlout only glared at me as we headed back to Berk. We flew on in silence until Snowfire fell in beside Toothless. "I still can't believe you guys survived that cave-in," I murmured.

"Neither can I," Hiccup admitted. "I mean, it was all Toothless. He made this weird sound that bounced back towards us and he used it to find his way out." I looked at Hiccup in surprise until recognizing what he had described.

"I don't get it. How do you use sound to guide you?" Fishlegs asked in confusion.

"I do it all the time," Snotlout laughed. "Whenever I hear your voice, I go the other way."

"I bet that Night Fury's can fly in the darkness like bats," I explained warily. Did Vikings know about echo location? I wasn't entirely sure, but bats were a good start. Dolphins and other aquatic animals could use it as well to communicate with one another and as hunting techniques.

"So, did you find anything?" Astrid asked in a hopeful tone.

"Only a map. To the Isle of Night," Hiccup replied with a grin.

"Nice! When do we leave?" I asked.

"First thing tomorrow morning," Hiccup explained. He patted Toothless on the head. "By this time tomorrow, bud, you are going to be knee-deep in Night Furies."

I had to hide my own doubt as we flew back to the village. I couldn't help but wonder if there was something off about those pages Hiccup had found. Why would Bork keep them from the Book of Dragons? What secret was he hiding?

...

Snowfire flew high in the sky later that night. I couldn't sleep, and apparently, neither could she. So it was just the two of us. And I was reading the book that I had taken from Bork's chest of treasures. It was difficult to read, but Snowfire had helped with that. Her scales reflected off the moonlight, almost giving the impression that they were glowing. Fortunately her scales provided enough light for me to read the pages.

"This is amazing," I whispered as she flew in at a lazy angle. "Bork has information on people like me."

'_And what do you mean by that_?' Snowfire asked.

"I mean, that there are other people who have the ability to bond with dragons," I explained warily. "Or, there _were_ other people like me." I bit the bottom of my lip as I read the last few lines. "According to Bork the people with this ability were killed on the spot, because they were thought of as 'demons', or something along those lines."

A shudder ran through me as I realized how lucky I was. Had I been stuck in this world at an earlier time, the people on this island might have killed me. Of course I still had that possibility. But the odds weren't as high now.

'_The humans did not understand their abilities_,' Snowfire growled. I nodded in agreement, suddenly feeling sick. That might explain why I was somehow brought to this world. I just wished that I knew the exact reason for being sent to this world.

"I should probably tell Hiccup about this," I murmured as I ran a hand through my hair. The thought made me feel uncomfortable. "Or maybe I'll keep it a secret." Then I read the last section of the book out loud as it fell awkwardly silent, "'According to my studies, the people that are born with these abilities are often known to draw dragons to the village'."

'_It makes sense_.' Snowfire paused as something flew towards us. I quickly closed the book and put it back in the hiding place on Snowfire's saddle before turning to see who it was. My heart nearly skipped a beat when a pair of yellow eyes shown through the darkness.

"Hiccup!" My voice nearly cracked when I shouted his name, causing Toothless to stop in his tracks. "What the hell? Why are you out so late?" Hiccup was equally surprised to see me as Snowfire and Toothless hovered face-to-face.

"Sorry, I uh… needed some time on my own," he stammered as he tried to make up an explanation. To which I just rolled my eyes and folded my arms.

"You _do_ realize that you're a terrible liar, right?" I reminded him. Thankfully Hiccup only sighed before spilling the beans.

"Look, from what I read in one of Bork's journals, Night Fury's are extremely territorial to any dragon except their own kind," he explained. "I was afraid that… if the others joined us they would get attacked."

I let out a sigh of relief before narrowing my eyes. "So you thought that going off on your own would be a good idea?" I asked with the slightest hint of annoyance. I could see the logic in his reasoning. But it didn't make things any better. I knew how the other riders would feel when they found out.

"Look, can we please just drop it?" He was getting impatient. It showed in Toothless as the Night Fury tried getting past Snowfire, who blocked his path with her massive wings. She only glared back, causing Toothless to stop once more.

"If you're going to an island with hostile dragons, don't you think it would be a good idea to have someone who can bond with them?" I resisted the urge to glare, suddenly realizing how important this was to Hiccup. Finding a family for Toothless meant everything to him at the moment. And for a moment Hiccup just locked eye contact with me before sighing in frustration.

"Okay, I guess you have a point there," he muttered. I couldn't resist smiling in satisfaction when he gave in. "But we'll have to be careful. I don't want the others finding out about this."

With that being said, the two of us flew off towards the Isle of Night.

...

It was morning when the other dragon riders had gotten ready for their trip. They were waiting eagerly at the training arena when Astrid noticed that something wasn't right.

"Where's Hiccup?" Fishlegs asked, noticing that something was off as well.

"It is morning, right?" Tuffnut asked.

"He wouldn't," Astrid grumbled under her breath. It wouldn't surprise her if he went off on his own. Especially when it came to finding a family for Toothless.

"He would," Fishlegs muttered in agreement.

They flew out of the arena and towards Hiccup's house. Ruffnut and Tuffnut went over to see if Alex was awake yet, seeing as she would more than likely know where Hiccup was too. Once Astrid entered the house she saw Stoick working on a wood carving that resembled a duck.

"We're sorry to bother you, sir," Astrid apologized once he looked up at them.

"Oh, it's no problem, Astrid," Stoick replied as he looked back at the duck carving. "Just doing my morning woodwork. It's quite relaxing."

"Um, chief, have you seen Hiccup?" Fishlegs asked.

"Well, I woke up and he was already gone," Stoick explained. "Should I tell him you two were looking for him?"

"How about we just leave him a note in his room," Astrid suggested.

"Ah, well, be my guest," Stoick replied.

The two of them then walked up the stairs as Stoick resumed his wood carving. When the two of them arrived, Meatlug was already there waiting for them. Astrid narrowed her eyes when she picked up the notebook that Hiccup usually kept with him.

"Hiccup must have copied the map from his notebook… fortunately," she sighed irritably. When was Hiccup going to learn that he couldn't do this alone?

"Yes!" Fishlegs exclaimed.

"I'd still like to know why Hiccup decided to go out on his own," Astrid muttered. She looked outside the windows to see the twins already waiting for them. And sure enough they had scratch marks on their faces, and an angry looking Terrible Terror.

"Alex is gone too," Tuffnut announced when the Terrible Terror jumped to him and bit his nose. "Ow! Ow! Ow!" He started running around, screaming in pain until Ruffnut knocked him to the ground and laughed.

"This just got more interesting," Fishlegs whispered when Astrid's eyes narrowed with annoyance.

...

The sun was already rising by the time we arrived on the Isle of Night. Once we landed we started looking around immediately, after convincing Snowfire to give us some space. That in itself was a monumental task.

"I promise to warn you if anything happens," I whispered as I gave her a reassuring hug. Snowfire only snorted before taking off. She began circling the island, but kept a distance just in case there actually were Night Furies around.

"Relax, bud," Hiccup said to Toothless as he crooned out of uneasiness. I didn't miss how tense he looked as he watched us. "Trust me, if this map is right, we're going to like what we find here." Toothless ran ahead for a bit and stopped when they reached an empty, mountainous terrain. "Are you ready?" I watched with wariness as Hiccup looked at Toothless hopefully. "Here we go."

He cupped his hands around his mouth and made a call similar to that of a Night Fury. After a second or two had passed, an answering call echoed across the island from a distance. My eyes narrowed with sudden interest as I looked on.

"I can't believe it! Did you hear that?" Hiccup asked, looking at Toothless and than at me.

"I guess Bork was right," I replied. Though I still couldn't hide my doubt. That call had been a little too convenient for my liking. But seeing the hope in Toothless' eyes had changed my mind all too quickly. Hiccup than got off of Toothless and patted him on the shoulder.

"Go get him," he said. Toothless leaped forward and approached the Night Fury cautiously. But then he stopped and looked back at us. "It's okay. Go, go. I'm right behind you," Hiccup reassured him. Toothless then started walking ahead, but was blocked by a rock wall.

"Something's not right," I suddenly whispered as a sense of unease crawled over me. It felt like someone was watching us. And I knew that it wasn't Snowfire.

"Toothless, come back!" Hiccup called after realizing that I was right. Toothless turned and started running towards us, but a bola was shot out of nowhere and wrapped around his feet, knocking him off. "Toothless, no!"

Hiccup had already started running after Toothless when out of nowhere an Outcast soldier pinned him to the ground. I held back a gasp of shock until someone grabbed me by the arm. The others were already trying to subdue Toothless as an all too familiar face appeared in front of us.

"Alvin." I practically spit at the name as he grinned at us triumphantly. Then more Outcasts began moving the Night Fury, that turned out to be a decoy. Savage appeared from behind it, holding a horn in his hands. I had no doubt that he was the one who made the Night Fury call.

"Amazingly realistic, wouldn't you say?" Alvin asked.

"Let him go!" Hiccup shouted as he struggled to free himself from the Outcast's grip. "What do you want?"

"I want me own dragon trainers. And by the looks of it, I've got two." Alvin's smirk grew wider as he looked at me like I was his prey. "And better yet, I've got the lass who can bond with dragons," he added in a sneer.

"I'm not going to train your dragons, Alvin," Hiccup snapped.

"And you've already got my answer," I added in a scathing voice. I truly would rather die than work for this bastard.

"Oh, I think you will," Alvin sneered. "And once you have, I will use them to destroy Berk." He then turned to the Outcasts. "Take them."

Two of the Outcasts trying to drag me away received a few blows to the shin and stomach. It took three more to finally take me down and drag me away.

"I don't understand! How did you do this?" Hiccup demanded as the Outcast lifted him up by the shoulder. The Outcast managed to tie him up, just as the other three were finished tying me up in ropes. And of course I didn't see this coming as we were thrown onto Alvin's ship.

Things got even worse when we saw another familiar face on Alvin's ship. A face that made me want to throw up right than and there.

"Mildew, what are you doing here?" Hiccup asked in disbelief.

"Ah, look at you two," Mildew chuckled darkly as he glared at us both. "Two of the brightest kids on the island, and yet here you are, trapped by a silly old man and his sheep." I started throwing curses at him until one of the Outcasts kicked me to the floor. Hiccup's eyes widened in alarm, but Mildew stopped him from rushing over to help.

"How could you do this?" he demanded. Meanwhile I was clutching my leg as I winced in pain from the kick. God, this day just kept getting better and better. Mildew only chuckled once more as he looked down at the two of us.

"You did this, Hiccup," he replied. "You believed our Bork notes, you followed the map we drew, you walked right into our trap. All for the love of dragons." He sneered before glaring at me. "And this brat of a girl was foolish enough to follow you," he added. "Maybe next time you'll think about where you place your loyalty."

"You? Loyal? That's a load of bull," I managed to say as Mildew's eyes narrowed with hate. He was ready to swing his staff at me when Alvin stopped him.

"There won't be a next time," he announced after pushing the old bastard aside. "Raise the sails! We're headed to Outcast Island!" The sails fell against the wind as the ship headed towards Outcast Island.

Dread washed over me when I realized what was about to happen. Unless Snowfire found us, or the dragon riders found us, we were screwed.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Ah it's good to be back. Last two episodes and than on to some one-shots before delving into the second movie :) Very excited! Anywho, onto review replies! Also wanted to say Merry Christmas, belated of course seeing as I have very little computer times during the holiday XD<strong>

**silverwolvesarecool - He'd probably like it :P Because everyone would be staring at him like he's some kind of nutcase XD**

**69759 - XD So very true. And nope, she's not part dragon... at least not that I'm aware of. And that's a lot of money for a computer... though my Macbook was over a thousand so I guess it's not too much of a difference /:**

**Cutie Kyuubi - I thought it was cool too, and cute ^^ Some foreshadowing I guess for the second movie :P**

**HTTYD Obsessed - Ah he did indeed. I probably will be skipping Defenders of Berk. I'm not entirely sure yet... But, I will be branching off once the second movie is finished. I'm not giving anything away, but it will be much darker compared to what's already been mentioned so far. And thanks, I hope you had a great Christmas too!**


	34. We Are Family Part II

**Chapter Thirty Four**

My head was still spinning from today's events, until I remembered where I was. Outcast Island. I couldn't believe that I was back here. The thought made me feel like I was going to be sick. Alvin had me locked up in a cell. This time it was smaller than the last one. And to make matters worse, Hiccup was captured as well.

Finally the door to my cell swung open. I looked up in time to see an Outcast standing at the entrance with a grin on his face. Without warning I sprung to my feet and started charging at him, until the Outcast grabbed hold of my shoulder and pushed me down, hard.

"Alvin said you might try that trick," he sneered as I forced back a cry of pain. "You ain't goin' nowhere kid." I could only glare daggers at him as he dragged me away. My shoulder still felt like it was on fire, despite the fact that his attack had lasted only a second.

The Outcast led me to where the dragons were being kept in cages. I felt a chill run down my back as I looked through the barred doors. They were chained and held down to prevent any hopes of escape. It was a pitiful sight, and I only felt more anger burn through me as we passed them.

"Where's my dragon, Alvin?" Hiccup's voice caught my attention. "And where are you hiding Alex?" Alvin was standing next to Savage, a look of annoyance all over his face. Until he noticed me. The Outcast kept a firm hand on my shoulder when Hiccup noticed who Alvin was staring at.

"You'll see you're dragon soon enough, don't worry," Alvin sneered after the Outcast shoved me forward. "As for you, I've got something special in mind. I hope you like spending time with those dragons; they've got a lot bonding to catch up with." I was ready to say something in my defense when Hiccup beat me to it.

"You know, I have to admit, luring us to the Isle of Night, building that fake Night Fury, not bad," he suddenly rambled on. Alvin only frowned in confusion as I gave him a 'What are you doing?' look. Hiccup just gave me the faintest nods before I realized what he was doing.

"Yeah, I don't think anyone else could think of a plan like that," I added.

"Not bad, the two say," Alvin chuckled as he glared down at us.

"But turning Mildew into an Outcast? Using him against us? Come on, Alvin, that's low-hanging fruit, even for you," Hiccup added. I had to hope that Hiccup knew what he was getting himself, and me into. I'd gotten out of tougher situations than this, but something told me things were about to get worse.

"No one thinks you're funny, boy. Now keep moving," Savage growled after Alvin slapped him across the face. I had to wince at the sight, and it left me suddenly wondering why Savage was working for such a bastard.

"Besides, I had a feeling he was working for you," I spoke up again.

"Still didn't help you," Alvin sneered. We were led passed a Whispering Death tied down by ropes.

A couple of Outcasts were struggling to keep hold of a Whispering Death. The same one that had nearly bitten of my head. All I could do was glare when it looked at me. The Outcasts cried out in surprise as it struggled against it's ropes and burrowed into the ground, emerging moments later a few feet away from us.

"You know it's going to keep doing that, right?" Hiccup asked, suddenly noticing what it was really doing. "It is a Whispering Death." Savage only grunted and shoved him forward, while keeping a hand on my shoulder.

Then we passed a Scauldron that was busy drinking water. It looked over at us and spit boiling hot water at one of the Outcasts. My heart nearly skipped a beat when the Scauldron gave me one look before bowing it's head.

"Heh, maybe we should just keep ya with the dragons from now on," Alvin sneered after noticing the exchange. Oh how I wanted to cut off that head of his. Every word that came out of his mouth made me feel like I was going to be sick.

"A Scauldron, impressive," Hiccup said when awkward silence followed. I hadn't missed that he sent Alvin. Fortunately Alvin was too oblivious to notice. "You might want to cut back its water."

"Oy, write that down," Alvin said to one of his Outcast men. The Scauldron was giving us a strange look. Alvin took the chance and fled before it could decide to attack him. I glanced over my shoulder and looked at the Scauldron apologetically.

I really did wish there was something I could do to help free it. Once we were far enough away, we came across another cage that appeared to be empty. Though I already knew without having to look what it was.

"It's escaped again!" an Outcast soldier called.

"Actually, no. It's right behind you," Hiccup explained. "Changewing." He nodded as the dragon appeared seconds later and sprayed acid at the cell door.

"Wow, you guys really don't have a handle on dragons, do you?" I asked.

"Well, that's why you two are here," Alvin replied. "Welcome to your new jobs." Alvin pushed him along while Savage shoved me forward.

"A job, me?" Hiccup asked with sudden interest. "As inviting as that sounds, I'm going to have to pass."

"You already know my answer," I added with a glare.

"Why must you make things difficult?" Alvin asked after shaking his head in disappointment.

"Not really the first time I've been asked that question," Hiccup said flatly. Alvin only responded with another chuckle before leading us towards another cell. What I saw next nearly made my heart skip a beat again.

Toothless was being held inside the cell. He was bound by leather ropes that held him up in the air. What struck me the most though was the chains keeping him from struggling free. "Toothless," I whispered. The Night Fury opened his eyes, and when he spotted Hiccup he began thrashing around, growling in frustration when he realized that wasn't doing him much good.

"Hang-Hang in there, bud. I'll get you out," Hiccup called reassuringly.

"He's not goin' anywhere, and neither are you," Alvin snapped. "You _will_ help me train those dragons, one way or another."

"And if we don't?" Hiccup demanded.

"Well then, they're no good to me. None of them! Especially yours," Alvin replied in a mocking tone. With that said and done, Alvin and Savage led us to separate cells on the other side of the island.

"Can I get you anything? Food, a cozy blanket? Warm yak's milk?" Savage gave a mocking laugh after slamming the cell doors shut. Once the doors were locked I leaned against the back of the wall.

"Alex?" Hiccup's voice sounded through the walls.

"Yeah?" It was all I could say. I was too exhausted, and too angry to say anything else. But most of all I was angry at myself for falling for Mildew's trick.

"We're getting out of here, one way or the other," Hiccup said in a reassuring tone. "I won't let them hurt you or Toothless." Guilt stabbed me even more when he said that. All I could do was wrap my arms around my knees as I tried to find some comfort here.

...

It was well in the afternoon by the time the Viking teens, along with Stoick and Gobber, had finally reached the Isle of Night. They had been flying for most of the night in order to reach their destination. But still no sign of Hiccup, or Alex for that matter.

"The Isle of Night; finally the chance to see Night Furies in their natural habitat. I'm busting at the seams," Fishlegs breathed in excitement.

"Don't wet yourself," Snotlout muttered. "I'm right behind you."

"Me and Gobber will check the north side of the island," Stoick explained once they landed. "You kids take the south. If we find anything, you'll hear it from Thornado." Once he and Gobber flew off, Astrid was left in charge of the group.

"Alright, this place will be covered in Night Furies," she announced in a tone of authority. "So let's fly low until we get a sense of where Hiccup and Toothless might be, and how many Night Furies there are." They then flew off towards the island.

...

I wasn't sure how much time had passed since we were thrown into our cells. I could hear Hiccup picking away at the lock as we waited for what Alvin would do next.

"Alvin! I gave you what you wanted. We had a deal!" I rolled my eyes at the all-too-familiar voice that belonged to Mildew. He could rot away on a lonely island for all I cared. For all I knew we were in this mess because of that asshole. And I wasn't about to change my mind on that attitude when I watched Alvin and Savage drag him to a cell.

"I didn't like the deal, so I changed it," Alvin replied.

"Oh, I do believe you all know each other. Don't get too clumsy," Savage sneered as he threw Mildew into Hiccup's cell. "Mildew's hours are numbered, much like you kids and that Night Fury." Alvin then approached Mildew with a wicked grin on his face before he snatched Fungus away.

I snorted at the whole scene, not really believing what I saw. Mildew was distraught when Alvin took away Fungus. A sheep of all things. After everything Mildew had done to us I wasn't in any hurry to feel sorry for him. Fungus, however, I did feel sorry for.

"No, Fungus! What are you doing with me Fungus?" Mildew demanded after Alvin snatched the sheep away.

"Preparing your final meal. It's lamb," Alvin replied with a smirk. The door shut on Mildew as the Outcasts turned to leave.

"Fungus! No!" Mildew cried and reached out through the bars.

"Hairy Hooligans, still as dumb as the day I left," Alvin said.

After listening to that whole scenario, I knew for a fact that something was off. Mildew fit in perfectly with the Outcasts. So why would their deal suddenly go south? Unless they had something else planned. Which made me all the more suspicious. Either way, I wasn't planning on trusting Mildew so easily.

...

The dragon riders continued searching the island for any signs of Night Furies. But so far they had come out empty handed. Astrid was flying with Fishlegs and Snotlout when they spotted something down below. Her eyes widened when she recognized the large, yet familiar shape of a Night Fury.

"Night Fury!" she gasped. "Let's check it out!" They flew down towards the seemingly realistic Night Fury. But as they got closer Astrid soon realized that it was fake. Her eyes narrowed in confusion. "Uh, guys, this isn't a—"

"Night Fury!" Tuffnut's voice called before the fake Night Fury was blown up.

"But it is realistic," Fishlegs commented as he picked up a piece.

"But the question is, what's it doing here?" Astrid asked, suddenly getting suspicious. Why would there be a fake Night Fury on an island that supposedly was home to Night Furies? Unless…. Ruffnut and Tuffnut had broken her thoughts when they landed beside their group.

"Good thing we came along when we did," Tuffnut said.

"What were you thinking?" Astrid suddenly yelled. "If that was Toothless you could have killed him!"

"Yeah, well, if my chicken had horns he'd be a yak," Tuffnut retorted.

"And if I were weak and girly, I'd be my mother," Ruffnut added.

"Yeah!" Tuffnut paused and after a few seconds realized what Ruffnut had said. "Wait, what?" That was when a huge roar sounded from the distance. It didn't take a genius to recognize the call of a Thunderdrum. When the Thunderdrum landed nearby, Gobber and Stoick approached the group cautiously.

"We saw a Zippleback fire from the sky," Stoick explained as he walked towards them. "Did you find something?"

"We did," Astrid replied after glancing at the others uneasily. "A fake Night Fury."

"Where is it?" Stoick demanded.

"Uh, gone. Blown up to pieces, actually," Fishlegs replied in a nervous tone.

He showed Stoick the fake Night Fury piece that was left on the ground. Stoick turned and glared at the twins, already guessing who had done it. The twins just sat back on Barf and Belch like nothing was wrong.

"Ah, well, what do we have here?" Gobber asked as he took the piece from Fishlegs. He gave it one sniff and held it up to Fishlegs. "Smell this," he said. Fishlegs did as he was told and gave the object a careful sniff. The scent nearly made him gag. "Nasty, isn't it?"

"Oh, I want to smell it!" Tuffnut exclaimed. "Put it near my face."

"Well, this false head was made from dragon skin and covered with ash from a charred Loki tree," Gobber told them.

"Loki tree, never heard of it," Snotlout said.

"Hate to say it, Snotlout, but we have seen them before," Astrid reminded him.

"Astrid's right. They only grow in one place," Stoick nodded in agreement.

"Outcast Island," Gobber announced in a grim tone.

"Oh no, Hiccup and Alex are on Outcast island," Fishlegs murmured after realizing what that meant.

"But what would the Outcasts be doing here?" Astrid asked. Suddenly a roar sounded from the distance; it was an eerie sound that made everyone shudder. Astrid's eyes widened in disbelief when she saw the familiar outline of a White Terror flying towards them.

"Better grab your shields, she doesn't look happy," Gobber said after noticing how fast the dragon was flying. Finally Snowfire landed in front of them, letting out a snarl of anger as she glared at the group.

'_It was a trap_!' she hissed when everyone took a step back. Even the other dragons looked uneasy. '_The humans have taken them_!"

"It makes sense…." Astrid paused as everyone gave her weird looks. "I mean, the notices that Bork had on Night Furies. From what I read on those diary pages in Hiccup's room, Night Furies are supposed to be hostile towards other dragons. Why didn't he put it in the Book of Dragons?"

"You know, I thought the same thing," Fishlegs said after giving her speculation some thought. He suddenly pulled out the Book of Dragons, reading over the pages and than the pages that Astrid had taken with her. "Have a closer look at Bork's notes, and what's in the Book of Dragons…. doesn't something seem off?"

Astrid read over the pages carefully while the others just looked on awkwardly. Reading wasn't exactly their kind of thing.

"The Night Fury pages are written in different handwriting," Astrid realized after reading for a few minutes. "That means someone planted those pages so Hiccup would find them and come here. And Alex just happened to go with him?" Astrid looked at Snowfire accusingly as the dragon only glared back.

'_We were already flying when the other hatchling showed up_,' she retorted. '_There was an older human with the ones you call 'Outcasts'_," she suddenly added when Astrid was ready to argue. Almost at once Astrid had already guessed what Snowfire meant by 'older human'.

"Wait, does she mean Mildew? 'Cause he's the only old guy I can think of right now," Snotlout said.

'_That is because you rarely think_,' Snowfire muttered with a roll of her eyes. Snotlout only scowled at her while everyone else gasped in disbelief.

"But Mildew? He hates dragons. He wouldn't join the Outcasts," Gobber said thoughtfully.

"But don't you think it's a strange coincidence that the Outcasts attached Berk just after the armory got destroyed?" Astrid pointed out.

"Now that you mention it, it was a bit strange," Fishlegs replied.

"But Alvin didn't know that it was Hiccup who saved Berk," Astrid suddenly added. She was more confused now than ever. What was the truth?

"Well, would you believe that Hiccup could kill the Red Death, before he met Toothless?" Gobber asked.

"No, not in a million years," Snotlout replied with a shrug.

"And now that I think about it, Mildew had the perfect opportunity to put those fake notes in, when I fixed left the chest to fix his wagon wheel," Gobber muttered in realization.

"Never mind about Mildew," Stoick told them. "Right now, we have to rescue Hiccup and Alex."

...

I've just about had it with this damned Outcast Island. Twice already Alvin had me taken out of my prison cell. Twice already he had tried testing the Whispering Death on me. And of course every time he tried it failed miserably. The Whispering Death had already tried killing me more than once in one day.

By the time he was finished with me his Outcast soldiers threw me back into the prison cell. I hadn't missed the fact that Hiccup was busy digging away in his cell, desperate to find a way out. Mildew was watching the whole thing while leaning against the wall, sighing in frustration.

"Really, this is so hard to watch," Mildew said.

"What now?" Hiccup asked.

"I just thought Stoick raised a smarter boy than this," Mildew replied nonchalantly. "You'll never save your dragon by sitting in this cell, digging in the dirt. You need to go get him soon!" I wasn't sure what surprised me more. That Mildew was actually talking, or that he actually wanted Hiccup to save Toothless.

"Since when do you care about dragons?" I muttered under my breath.

"And how do you suggest I do that?" Hiccup demanded, sounding more irritated than usual.

"By giving Alvin what he wants." Mildew's words made me want to slug him in the mouth.

But he did have a good point. If we could befriend one of the dragons here, they may help us escape with Toothless. For a moment an eerie silence followed. I already knew that Hiccup was thinking of what Mildew had said.

About an hour had passed while I kept an eye out for anyone who might check in on us. I was surprised Alvin hadn't taken me out again. Then again he was probably tired of watching the dragons refuse to listen. I let out a sigh when an Outcast guard finally walked past our cells.

"Guard, guard! I can't take it! Please!" Hiccup shouted in a desperate voice. I just looked on in disbelief until I realized what he was doing. "I'll tell Alvin whatever he wants to know, just let me out of here."

I watched with interest as the Outcast began to unlock the door. But what he didn't notice was that Hiccup had removed his prosthetic leg. I hid a knowing smirk when Hiccup suddenly smacked the Outcast guard in the side.

But the guard wasn't knocked out. Instead he only stood up and growled.

"That worked a little better in my head," Hiccup muttered.

The Outcast guard was about to run towards him, but Mildew's staff reached out and pulled him back to the bars with a loud clanging sound, knocking him out quickly. The key slid slowly to Hiccup's foot shortly after. He leaned over and picked it up, then looked back at Mildew.

"Wow, thanks," he said after putting back on his prosthetic leg. Once he freed himself he unlocked my cell and pulled me in for a hug. "Are you okay?" he asked after noticing a few cuts and bruises. I barely even noticed them until now.

"I'll be fine once we're out of here," I replied. We started running down the hall until Mildew shouted again.

"Wait, take me with you!" he pleaded.

"You're kidding me, right?" Hiccup groaned in annoyance. The last thing I would ever do was trust Mildew again. He could rot away in prison for the rest of his life for all I cared.

"No, I know how to get around the island," Mildew explained after shaking his head. "I can help you, please. Let me make it up to you."

"I think I'd rather take my chances with the Whispering Death," I muttered under my breath.

Hiccup let out a sigh when he glanced back at Mildew, who was staring at us with a pleading look. At one time I might have been swayed by that look. But now I just wanted to ignore him for the rest of my life and move on.

"We can't just leave him here," Hiccup sighed once more before he approached Mildew's cell. I folded my arms and glared at Mildew as he opened the cell door. "Don't make us regret this, Mildew."

As soon as Mildew was released we started running down the hall. Hopefully we could find our way out, before Alvin discovered that we were gone. It didn't take us long to reach the outside. The only downside: We had to keep hiding behind rocks while the guards passed by us.

I could hear dragons in the area, and peered over the rock in time to see a few in what looked like a field of lava.

"What's the quickest way to get to the dragons?" Hiccup asked after pulling Mildew aside. Mildew looked around before pointing his staff towards the lava field.

"Through that lava field."

"Let's go," I said. Hiccup was about to follow me, but Mildew's staff flew out in front of us.

"Ah, you do realize that those are wild dragons down there?" he asked.

"Yeah, got any better ideas?" I asked before running ahead. Hiccup was quick to follow with Mildew close behind, grumbling under his breath the entire time.

Once we approached the area I let out a sigh of relief. Rocky fields seemed to be a dragon's best friend, especially when pools of lava were scattered across it. A Monstrous Nightmare was fighting with a Deadly Nadder over a bone. Nearby I saw a Gronckle growling as another got too close.

"Well, come on then. Let's go," Hiccup said after watching them for a moment.

"Uh, let's not," Mildew retorted. Fear showed in his eyes. Real fear. For the first time I actually did feel a little sorry for him. But only a little. I wasn't about to forgive him so easily for what he did to us.

"Would you rather stay here and get eaten?" I asked with a smirk. Mildew was ready to make another retort when Hiccup stopped us both.

"We know what we're doing, Mildew," Hiccup reassured him. "Just stay close with us." God I wished I had Hiccup's patience. Honestly I would've just left Mildew behind by now.

"Perfect, a ninety pound boy and a bratty girl acting as my shield," Mildew muttered under his breath. I only rolled my eyes as I walked on ahead.

Once Mildew had gotten up, Hiccup led him quickly through the field. The dragons just looked up and stared at us as we walked past. An orange and dark green Deadly Nadder had approached us and outstretched it's wings, letting out a warning growl.

Mildew was ready to throw his staff at the Nadder when I held out my hand. The old man's eyes widened in disbelief as the Nadder sniffed my hand cautiously before nudging it.

"There's a good boy," I murmured as he crooned affectionately. "You have to show them that they can trust you," I explained as Mildew's jaw had nearly gaped open. Hiccup had done the same thing by approaching the Nadder cautiously.

"Very impressive," Mildew said after shaking off the surprise. He picked up his staff, and the Nadder jumped at him in order to examine him. Mildew cried out in fear as the Nadder stared down at him.

"Really, he's just getting to know you," Hiccup added. "They can sense your fear, so try to relax." Mildew was standing up straight, and even from a distance I could see how tense he was.

"This is relaxed," he snapped in a strained voice. The Deadly Nadder than did something completely unexpected. He nudged Mildew with his head playfully, seeking attention.

"Awe, he wants to be friends with you." I had to laugh at the sight. "Isn't that nice?" Mildew's expression was priceless as the Nadder continued nudging him.

"I've got plenty of friends," Mildew retorted.

"We're going to need a way past those dragons," Hiccup said once Mildew tried pushing the Nadder away. I already had my own plans, but any ways of getting revenge on Mildew would be fine by me. "And I think we just found it," he added with a sly grin.

"Eh, what?" Mildew asked in confusion. The Deadly Nadder than suddenly licked him, and Mildew suddenly understood where Hiccup was getting at.

"Remember, dragon training begins and ends with trust," Hiccup reminded Mildew as he stood up, still holding on to his staff. "Both of yours." He took hold of Mildew's hand and placed it on the Deadly Nadder's snout. "Now climb on."

"Huh?" Mildew looked at Hiccup as if he had grown wings.

Hiccup climbed onto the Deadly Nadder after that, and I was quick to follow. Mildew began to mutter under his breath again as he tried climbing onto the Nadder's back, only to fall off twice. How the Nadder was able to hold our weight, I'd never understand. But finally Mildew managed to push himself up and was sitting behind me, making me feel even more uncomfortable.

"Wow. Uh, Mildew on a dragon," Hiccup said in disbelief. "This will take some getting used to."

The Deadly Nadder suddenly began to shift it's weight around. "Eh, why it's doing that? What's happening?" Mildew asked as he clutched on to me for dear life.

"It's okay," Hiccup repeated himself two more times as Mildew looked around fearfully. "He's just never had people on him before," he explained once Mildew had calmed down a little. "A dragon's hide is dry," he added after spitting in his hand to rub it on the Nadder's neck. "Use moisture from your hands to soothe him."

The Deadly Nadder squawked in pleasure when it realized we weren't a threat. Mildew had done the same, reminding me once again how thankful I was that I didn't have to do this. Once it took off Mildew held onto me once again.

"Better let me go, Mildew, or I might just throw you off," I muttered under my breath. Mildew's only response was to squeeze tighter, forcing me to lean over so that my chin was resting on Hiccup's shoulder.

"I'm fine," Mildew replied. I held back a sigh of frustration as we flew towards the dragon pit.

"That's where they're keeping Toothless," Hiccup pointed it out first.

We flew down through a tunnel that looked like it was carved by a Whispering Death. Once we reached the cells we got off of the Deadly Nadder. By than I had to shove Mildew to the ground after he was still holding on to me.

We ran over to the cell where Toothless was being held, only to find it empty.

"Toothless is gone," I said in confusion.

"Alvin must have moved him," Mildew groaned.

Just then the cages holding the Scauldron and the Changewing opened. The Deadly Nadder that we'd befriended crawled behind us out of fear. I resisted the urge to smack Mildew across the head when I looked up to see Alvin standing over us. Most likely the bastard had planned this entire thing.

"Let's see what you two can deal with real wild dragons," Alvin sneered. He then pulled the lever, and the cage door holding the Whispering Death suddenly opened. All three dragons roared at once, and Alvin smiled at the sight.

"Mildew, whatever happens in the next three minutes, do exactly what I tell you," Hiccup ordered.

"Why?" Mildew asked with a scowl. The Changewing suddenly spit acid at him, and he ducked just in time. He then looked at us with that same pleading expression. "I'm all ears."

Hiccup then gestured to him and hopped on the Deadly Nadder. Once they got on the Whispering Death tried having a go at them, but fortunately the Deadly Nadder was able to dodge. The Scauldron sprayed boiling hot water at them, but again the Nadder dodged it's attack. Suddenly the Whispering Death dove underground.

"Easy," whispered to the Changewing as it growled at me. Thankfully it didn't try to attack. Instead the Changewing actually kept the Scauldron from attacking me as I hopped on just as the Nadder Hiccup and Mildew were on ran off.

I didn't need to look back to know that the Scauldron was following. At the last second the Changewing had flown into the air just as the Nadder did, and we flew next to each other as the Whispering Death burst from the ground. It's sudden attack resulted in crashing into the Scauldron, causing both dragons to stop in their tracks.

We then dove into the tunnel the Whispering Death had created and escaped. Relief washed over my shoulders as I saw daylight. It was morning when we finally made it out of the dragon pit.

"You know your dragons, I'll give you that," Mildew said after watching the whole thing.

"Hiccup!" Stoick's voice rang out. The two of us looked up in time to see Thornado landing in front of us. Stoick jumped off, followed by Gobber. "Thank Thor you're alright!" It was only seconds later when talons suddenly pried me off the Changewing, chasing it off in the process.

'_My hatchling_!' Snowfire's voice was reassuring enough as she nearly smothered me with her snout. '_I was afraid that I would lose you_.'

"I could never do that to you," I whispered once she let me up.

"We're alright, but Toothless is in trouble," Hiccup explained once everyone else had joined us.

"And Mildew is on the back of a dragon," Tuffnut piped up.

"I know," Hiccup said with a roll of his eyes. Tuffnut was silent for a few moments.

"Weird," he finally replied. Mildew was suddenly pried off of the Deadly Nadder by Snowfire. We all watched as she let out a furious snarl and roared in his face. Mildew looked absolutely horrified as she bared her teeth.

'_I will make certain that you suffer for this_!' she hissed as Mildew cried out in fear. Hiccup gave me one look before I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"Easy Snow, Mildew helped us escape," I explained as I pushed her off. Snowfire looked at me in surprise before glaring at Mildew again. "We owe him our lives," I added in a voice full of disgust. All of the riders stared at us like we were crazy. And I'm starting to think we were.

"Getting weirder," Tuffnut muttered.

"'Owe him your lives?' He's the one who got you in trouble in the first place," Astrid pointed out.

"We'll explain later," Hiccup sighed after realizing they were right. "Right now, I have to save Toothless."

"Or bring Toothless to you," I said.

Hiccup gave me a nod before cupping his hands over his mouth. He imitated the call of a Night Fury that echoed across the area. We then heard the call of a Night Fury calling back and hopped onto our dragons, flying towards the sound.

"There he is!" Hiccup said, pointing down. We flew towards Toothless and landed nearby. Once Hiccup had landed on the Deadly Nadder he ran over to Toothless' side. "Toothle—" He never got the chance to finish his sentence, because Toothless had started covering him in licks.

'_Something is not right_,' Snowfire growled in a warning tone. I nodded in agreement as I kept watch for danger. No doubt Alvin had guards posted all over the island.

"Are you okay, bud?" Hiccup asked as he started rubbing Toothless' chin. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Toothless. This is all my fault," he apologized. Toothless suddenly pulled back and turned his head, growling in anger just as Snowfire had earlier. "What's the matter, bud?" Hiccup asked.

We all followed Toothless' and Snowfire's gaze to find Alvin standing on a cliff's edge.

"You two weren't going to leave before we finished our business, were you?" Alvin said as he glared down at us. Hiccup only stood up and glared as I kept Snowfire from charging after Alvin right than and there. "That's what I'd expect from Stoick's little runt."

Anger suddenly churned within me when Alvin said that.

"Oh boy," Gobber said before Snowfire suddenly charged right after Alvin. She wasted no time in firing ice at Alvin, who managed to dodge only just in time.

"Hiccup, Alex!" Stoick yelled as Toothless took off as well. "No, we have what we came for!"

"Do it you two! I'm right here!" Alvin laughed as he continued dodging Snowfire's attacks. "Now!"

More Outcasts had suddenly appeared from their hiding place, firing bolas at both Toothless and Snowfire. I held on to Snowfire for dear life when she suddenly came crashing down. My eyes widened in panic as Outcast soldiers began running towards us.

"They're down!" Gobber shouted.

"Dragons, everybody!" Astrid ordered.

"We would love to, but as you can see…." Tuffnut said as they realized their dragons were gone.

"Trusting dragons, this is what it gets you," Mildew scoffed.

"Wait, look!" Astrid said.

I looked up just in time to see the dragons were turning around. They were flying towards us. They began firing at the Outcasts that were running towards us. Thornado and the Deadly Nadder Hiccup befriended created a diversion. Barf released some gas while Belch sparked it along a path of Outcasts.

"Yeah! We taught him that!" Tuffnut shouted. "We didn't teach him that, did we? Yeah, I didn't think so."

Meatlug swooped in and formed a protective ring of fire around us. What surprised me even more was that Hookfang and Stormfly had flown in to carry us off towards the waiting Vikings. Quickly Snotlout and Astrid had cut off our ropes.

"What happened?" Hiccup asked.

"The dragons saved you two, on their own!" Fishlegs replied.

"Looks like they took their training to a whole new level," Astrid added.

"We can catch up later," Stoick told us. "Right now, we need to get out of here."

Unfortunately more Outcasts were running towards us. We all got on our dragons and flew into the air. Thornado fired sonic blasts to keep the Outcast soldiers preoccupied. Both Mildew and Gobber were on the Deadly Nadder, but Mildew only hung onto the Nadder's tail.

"Mildew!" Hiccup called.

"For the love of Thor, Mildew, get back up here!" Gobber shouted. Mildew refused to budge. "Don't you let go, old man."

"Tell the boy I'm sorry," Mildew said before letting go.

"Mildew!" Hiccup cried and turned to go back.

"Hiccup, don't!" Snowfire blocked his path as she glared at where Mildew had fallen. "He may have helped us, but I still don't trust him."

'_He would betray us all_,' Snowfire added.

"Smart girl," Mildew shouted from where he landed. "At least someone on Berk has some intelligence!" The Outcasts had started firing arrows at us as I glared at Mildew.

"We have to go," Astrid said.

"Astrid's right. We have to go, now," Stoick ordered. Hiccup was still glaring at Mildew as we turned to leave.

...

It was good to be back on Berk. I had lost track of how much time had passed since we were on Outcast Island. Being back here and seeing all of the decorations for Bork Week made me realize just how lucky I was.

"You know, I never realized how lucky I am to be here," I suddenly murmured as I leaned against Snowfire. We were sitting in the plaza as the Vikings got ready for the parade. It was only a few hours away now.

'_And why is that_?' Snowfire looked at me curiously.

"Well, for starters I could've woken up somewhere far away from Berk," I explained with a shrug. "But, to be honest, I don't think I could see myself in my own world now. It's like…. Berk has become my true home."

'_We are family_,' she replied in a voice full of pride. '_And I would not want it any other way_.'

I nodded in agreement before heading over to Hiccup's house. With the parade underway it was time to get ready. Hiccup opened the door and looked at me in confusion until he suddenly remembered.

"Bork Week, remember?" I said with a shrug. Hiccup only grinned before following me outside, with Toothless close behind.

Once we were ready the air show started. All of the Vikings were cheering in amazement as Astrid's Nadders flew in a perfect line. Even Hookfang and the other Monstrous Nightmares were flying perfectly. Everything had gone smoothly.

I looked up at Snowfire as she flew next to Toothless as the dragons dove into the clouds. Everything we had been through together, was because of fate deciding to bring me here. And I had finally realized that I wouldn't want it any other way.

Over my first year on Berk, I learned something. That even though you aren't born into a family, you're still part of one. The friends that you fight alongside become your family. You know you'll be there for them. And they'll always be there for you.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I don't know why but this chapter is right now my favorite :) Just to warn everyone, I am going to do the Snoggletog special. It might take a while for me to post it though, so apologies in advance for any delays.<strong>

**Cutie Kyuubi - I know, I was hoping there would be more too, but alas, I had to follow the episode guidelines :P Mildew is pretty much a big terd for doing that XD**

**HTTYD Obsessed - It was definitely an intense episode. I'm probably going to delve deeper into Alex's past during the second movie, though I may just wait until the end of that XD I love making people wait :P**

**silverwolvesarecool - lol He really is. And he lives up to his name XD**

**69759 - It's okay, I've gotten out of the habit of updating ^^ I've just been busy this past month with the holidays and everything. And I know the feeling. That's why I'm only working on two now. The other one I have posted is more for fun than anything else :)**


	35. Happy Snoggletog!

**Chapter Thirty Five**

* * *

><p>"'<em>Cause I hear a voice and He calls me redeemed, When others say I'll never be enough And greater is the One living inside of me, Than he who is living in the world, In the world In the world, And greater is the One living inside of me, Than he who is living in the world...<em>" Greater, MercyMe

* * *

><p>It's been a little over a year now that I've lived on Berk. And there's one thing that I've actually missed back in my world: Christmas. One of my favorite holidays and the few where I actually got to spend time with my small family back in my world.<p>

But on Berk, there is one celebration that is oddly similar to Christmas. It's called Snoggletog. Why they chose that of all names I'll never understand. But this is the first year Snoggletog would be celebrated with dragons. And it was the first year I would be celebrating it. Oh joy.

...

'_Good morning, little one_.' Snowfire's voice cut through the silence like a knife.

I was fast asleep, with Spikes curled up beside me until I felt something heavy rest on me. It took a few moments before the air around me suddenly got colder than usual. My eyes opened up in seconds as I glared at her.

"Why do you have to do that?" I asked while shivering.

Snowfire only hummed in amusement as she backed up. Fortunately she had stopped as the air got warmer. The cold had definitely woken Spikes up. His head shot up for a moment before he flew up to the perch that rested above.

'_We should go flying_,' Snowfire suddenly pointed out. '_It has been too long since I've seen the sunrise from the sky_.'

"Yeah, two days ago is such a long time," I grumbled under my breath. Snowfire gave me a warning look and I rolled my eyes. "Why can't you go on your own?" I asked.

It's not like she wasn't capable of flying on her own. She just happened to like having the company.

'_You know why_,' she retorted in an accusing tone. '_Do I have to drag you along_?' I held back a sigh of annoyance before shaking my head.

"No, just hold on for a moment," I muttered crossly. Snowfire hummed in satisfaction as I got dressed. The cold weather didn't exactly agree with me all the time. I learned that the hard way when I first arrived on Berk.

Once I was ready we took off, oblivious to the world around us. Flying was like nothing I had ever experienced before. At one time I was terrified with the idea of flying. But once Snowfire had taken me for a spin, my mind was changed.

She flew in lazy circles as we checked the island for signs of new dragons. Since I was able to bond with almost every dragon, Stoick assigned me as lookout to any new species that might be found. So far I've discovered that a few dragons aren't even capable of being bonded with.

No thanks to Alvin I'd learned that the Whispering Death was one of those dragons. For some reason they held a grudge. A grudge that lasted longer than anything I'd ever thought possible. With a shake of my head I decided it best not to think of it.

"Think we could find a few Monstrous Nightmares up there?" I asked when we flew closer to an ice stack. These rocky cliffs were perfect for spotting dragons on, especially from afar. Snowfire liked hanging out on them because it gave her distance from the other dragons.

'_Most likely_,' Snowfire replied with a huff of breath.

I patted her on the neck and hopped out of the saddle. The ice stack was big enough for just the two of us. But just being with Snowfire made me feel happier than I realized. She was always there for me when I needed someone to talk to.

That was when I noticed something wrong. Snowfire was busy cleaning her wing when I spotted dragons leaving the island. Thousands of them were leaving in hordes. Snowfire looked up from her grooming in surprise until I stood up.

"Why are they leaving?" I wondered out loud.

'_Something is not right_,' Snowfire muttered. I nodded in agreement before hopping onto her saddle once more. She took off and followed them, flying at their slower pace. Snowfire didn't stop until she spotted something familiar in the distance. It was hard to see anything in this thick fog.

My eyes narrowed until I spotted Toothless as well. Hiccup was staring down at the dragons that were fleeing. He looked up in surprise when he realized we were approaching.

"Do you have any idea what's going on?" Hiccup asked once we joined them. Toothless warbled a greeting at both Snowfire and me as I smiled at the Night Fury.

"I wish," I replied with a shrug. "It's like something's spooked them from the island."

Hiccup was about to answer when a Deadly Nadder suddenly came at us out of nowhere. Snowfire managed to swing to the side, and Toothless ducked, but the Nadder's talons had snared Hiccup's helmet. The helmet was sent flying afterwords as the Nadder flew away.

"Oh no, my helmet!" he cried as the helmet disappeared in the mass of dragons. Toothless gave the helmet one look before diving after it. "Toothless, no!" Snowfire hovered in place as the dragons swarmed around them. Finally Toothless had stopped himself when Hiccup cried out again, just narrowly missing a crash into another dragon. "We'll get it later, bud," he reassured Toothless as the Night Fury frantically watched the helmet fall. "We need to get back and find out what's going on," he added to me once they had flown up.

"Was that the helmet your father gave you?" I couldn't help but ask. I remembered only seeing that helmet once or twice now that I thought about it. Hiccup had worn it during his first test at what was once the dragon arena, back when he was told to kill a Monstrous Nightmare. This was the second time I'd seen him wearing it.

"It's the helmet that…. Belonged to my mom," Hiccup explained after glancing away uneasily. "Dad gave it to me before… you know." I nodded in understanding. Now I suddenly understood why the helmet was so important to him.

"We can go back for it once we figure out what's up with the dragons," I said once we reached Berk. Hopefully we wouldn't lose the helmet fully by than.

"What's the matter?" a Viking asked as we landed in the plaza. A Monstrous Nightmare chose that moment to take off along with a few other dragons. "Where are you going?" Astrid was watching the other dragons as well, and had extended her hands towards Stormfly.

"No, no, no, don't leave! Stormfly, don't go!" Snowfire's eyes narrowed with interest as Stormfly took off, ignoring her rider's pleas. "Please?" Astrid's voice dropped to a whisper until she spotted me. "Please tell me you know what's going on?" she demanded as she approached us. Snowfire let out a growl, stopping Astrid in her tracks.

"How am I supposed to know?" I asked with a shrug. "It's not like I speak their language."

"Astrid?" Hiccup landed next to Snowfire when he saw Astrid glaring at me.

"This is all _your_ fault isn't it?" she demanded, suddenly raising an axe at me. "_You_ told them to leave!"

'_Do not act like such a fool_,' Snowfire hissed, swatting the axe away with her tail. '_My rider has done no such thing_.'

Astrid was ready to say something else when she thought better of it. All I did was stare at her in disbelief. I knew she was acting out of shock and partly grief that her dragon was suddenly gone. But that didn't make what she said any better.

She wasn't the only one asking questions. Sure enough other Vikings were gathering behind us in a crowd. They were either demanding answers or at least kindly asking what was going on with the dragons.

"Snowfire, do you have any idea what's going on?" I asked warily. Snowfire only curled her lips and growled at the other Vikings, who stepped back uncomfortably.

'_I wish I knew_,' she replied. '_Something is drawling them away from the island_.' Hiccup held back a sigh of relief when her words had somewhat calmed the crowd at last. But a few were still outraged that the dragons had left, demanding that we bring them back somehow.

"Everyone, calm down!" Stoick yelled over the noise. He managed to push aside a few Vikings in order to reach us. "Give them a chance to speak." He stopped and looked at Hiccup pleadingly. "Where are the dragons going?" he asked.

"Dad…. Neither of us know," Hiccup replied, shaking his head in confusion.

Stoick let out a sigh of frustration, and the other Vikings had done the same thing. A roar from behind made us all look over to the cliff, where Toothless was. Stormfly hovered above him, squawking as if trying to convince him to join her. Toothless only reared up and roared in response, flaring his wings as he tried following.

But I knew the reason why Toothless couldn't join her. He couldn't fly on his own. Stormfly eventually backed off and flew away, leaving Toothless behind. He sat back, warbling after the retreating dragons as he watched them disappear.

We were gathered at the Great Hall later that evening. The entire village had arrived as Stoick held a meeting over what just happened today. Confused Vikings talked to one another as they discussed what they thought had happened.

"Snowfire's right, I do wish that I knew what was going on," I sighed as I leaned against my seat. "To make things worse that it happened right before Snoggletog." A few Vikings sitting near me mumbled in agreement.

"Snoggletog's ruined!" a Viking shouted suddenly.

"It's not ruined!" Stoick yelled, standing on the stone basin that surrounded the bonfire at the center of the Great Hall. "We're Vikings! We've been perfectly happy celebrating without dragons for generations. And there's no reason we can't do that again!"

A few Vikings murmured in reluctant agreement, while others remained icily silent. Stoick's words had sent shivers through me as I exchanged looks with the other Viking teens. Holidays were celebrated with family. And as far as I was concerned, dragons were now part of the family.

"Now, we may not know where they have gone off," Stoick went on. "But Alex and Hiccup will work out where they have gone in the morning. We just have to have faith that they'll be back soon." He looked around pleadingly, but I knew who he was really looking at. "Am I right?"

More murmurs of agreement followed his words before Gobber suddenly stood up.

"You're right!" he shouted, waving a couple of lanterns in the air as well. "We are Vikings! We are tough!" I tried not to laugh when I noticed the little bells wrapped around his prosthetic hand. His helmet even had yak horns on it. "Most of the time," Gobber added, blushing in embarrassment when he realized everyone was staring.

Gobber's festive mood had managed to lift the adult's spirits up. But I was still feeling guilty about the dragons leaving. And I noticed that the other teens didn't look too thrilled either. I sighed and got up as Gobber started singing Snoggletog songs, the Viking equivalent to Christmas carols.

"Well that was depressing," Ruffnut muttered as I followed the other teens outside. The village was surprisingly silent without the constant noises dragons made. Only Toothless and Snowfire stayed in the village.

Snowfire bounded up to me and nudged my arm as I wrapped it around her. "Did you find anything?" I asked hopefully. Maybe they had found out where the other dragons were while discussing what to do about their disappearance. Snowfire only shook her head, and I looked down at my feet after realizing what this meant.

"I know!" Astrid replied unhappily. "I was looking forward to spending the holiday with Stormfly." The depressing silence was suddenly broken by a carefree whistling from Fishlegs.

"What are you so happy about?" Tuffnut asked. "Don't you miss Meatlug?" Fishlegs stopped his whistling and looked at them in confusion.

"Me?" he asked as his eyes widened in surprise. "Uh…. Yeah!" he replied after hesitating for a moment. He cleared his throat and awkwardly covered his face before letting out what sounded like a fake sob. "I miss her so much!" He choked silently in a squeaky voice. He peeked out from his arm as we all stared at him suspiciously. "Well, good night!" he suddenly chirped before shuffling away.

For a few seconds we just stood there in silence. Why did this have to be so depressing? Without the dragons it didn't feel like a holiday, but we were all still together. Snowfire had nudged my arm once again before I perked up for a moment.

"I've got an idea!" I suddenly announced, stepping in front of everyone. "We could come up with a whole bunch of new holiday traditions! You know, to to take down the sadness!" Astrid actually looked like she enjoyed that idea, but the others just slouched even lower as they turned away.

"Actually, Alex might be on to something," Hiccup said.

"Easy for you two to say," Tuffnut retorted, gesturing to Snowfire and Toothless. "Your dragon can't go anywhere without you, and yours is just… being stupid!" Snowfire let out a snarl at that, and Tuffnut shrugged with a smirk at her.

'_I will not leave my rider_,' she hissed.

I patted her on the shoulder and looked over at Toothless. I did feel sorry for him as he stared longingly at the sky. Toothless kept shuffling around awkwardly as he tried flapping his wings to take off. His tail was proving to be impossible for him to fly.

"Must be nice," Ruffnut muttered and turned around, stalking away with the others. Hiccup just stood there and looked at Toothless as his dragon continued staring at the sky.

"We'll find them," I reassured him as Snowfire stood beside me. Hiccup only sighed and looked at me warily.

"I sure hope you're right," he murmured.

...

The next morning a group of children were building a snowman that resembled a Gronckle. Snowfire had created enough snow for them to play in it and build snow figures, since we didn't seem to have enough on the island at the moment. The children weren't exactly as enthusiastic as we were hoping though. Instead they leaned against the Gronckle after finishing it.

"Yaknog!" Astrid's shrill voice suddenly cut through the gloomy silence. Snowfire and I looked at her in surprise as she held a shield on it's side with two mugs and a pitcher balancing on top of it. "Get your yaknog! Come on, get a frothy, delicious cup of cheer!"

"Since when has Astrid gotten into the holiday spirit?" I asked as Snowfire watched her curiously. She walked over to Snotlout and offered him a mug. Tuffnut, who was walking nearby, wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"Ugh, what's that smell? Is that you?" He pushed Ruffnut over after asking the question, receiving a punch in the arm as a response.

"It's yaknog!" Astrid explained.

Basically, the Viking's equivalent of eggnog. Although I had a feeling yaknog wasn't nearly as… tasty. Though I really wouldn't know. She picked up the pitcher and poured a surprising amount into the mug. My nose wrinkled in disgust when I realized it was mixed with yak's milk and eggs.

"Ugh, if I drink that I'll yaknog all over the place!" Tuffnut said after turning around with a face the shade of green.

"Maybe you'd rather take a punch to the face?" Astrid suggested in a pleasant tone. Okay, I must be dreaming. I've never seen Astrid this happy or… pleasant. It was weird. And she was rhyming. That made it even weirder, if that was possible.

Ruffnut got up and took one sniff of the drink before sticking her tongue out at the overwhelming smell. Astrid's eyes narrowed dangerously, but Snotlout then chose that moment to approach her.

"Astrid, it sounds delightful! I'd love a mug," he told her and picked up one of the mugs. Astrid shot a smug look at the twins as Snotlout took the mug and drank it. Snotlout's face twisted in panic, making me laugh yet again as Astrid looked back at him hopefully. When he finally swallowed she waited for him to say something. "Uh…. You can really taste the yak," he said weakly, gingerly putting the mug back on the shield.

Fishlegs joined them just than. His face lit up when he saw the drink and nearly toppled over Tuffnut to pick it up. "Oh, yum! What is it?" he asked.

"Ooh, you want to try some? It's my new traditional drink!" Astrid said, offering him another mug full of yaknog. By now I was struggling not to laugh as Snotlout shook his head at Fishlegs, drawling a finger across his throat.

"Oh," Fishlegs said, suddenly understanding what Snotlout was talking about. He stammered and backed away, looking a bit disappointed. "You know… um, I suddenly have uh… inexplicably changed my mind."

"Well, you don't know what you're missing," Astrid said huffily. She turned and looked at me in confusion while Snowfire tilted her head away from the drink.

'_That smells terrible_!' she hissed in annoyance.

"So, getting into the holiday spirit?" I asked as Astrid glared at Snowfire.

"Well, actually, it was you who gave me this idea," she admitted sheepishly. "I really liked the idea of bringing in new traditions."

"Really?" I was genuinely surprised by that. Usually Hiccup was the only one who seemed interested in my ideas. "I'm glad you liked it. Maybe you should offer the drink to Hiccup," I suddenly suggested. Snowfire crooned in confusion before I winked at her.

Astrid's eyes lit up immediately at the idea before she headed over to the forge. Snowfire and I wasted no time in following. I couldn't resist waving goodbye to Snotlout when I noticed that he was actually crying. The sight was too good to miss.

We reached the Snoggletog decorated forge and walked inside. I wasn't surprised that no one could be found. Knowing Hiccup he was probably working on another blueprint that he'd kept in the forge.

"Hiccup, are you there?" I asked before Astrid could. She gave me one look before shaking her head.

"Yeah, I'm over here, Alex. Coming!" came Hiccup's response. He was in the back of the forge. I helped Astrid work her way closer, and sure enough Hiccup was standing over something on the workbench, holding a pair of priers in his hand.

"Astrid brought something for you," I said in a cheerful voice.

"Happy holidays, from me to you!" Astrid exclaimed, handing him a mug full of yaknog. Hiccup looked at us both strangely before taking a sip. "So, have you two found anything about the dragons?" she suddenly asked.

"I wish," I muttered, suddenly feeling less cheerful.

"We spent half the night trying to figure it out," Hiccup explained after noticing Astrid's look of confusion. "But, something did come up while I was working in here." Hiccup turned around and pulled out what looked like parchments with graphs on them from last year, when the dragons were attacking Berk. "These graphs show when the dragons were raiding Berk," he told us. "But there's one month when they just… suddenly vanish. Then they return again and the raids continue."

"So, the dragons disappeared for one month… like a migration?" I looked at Hiccup in surprise when he nodded. I've heard of animals migrating, like birds and other creatures, but dragons? "It doesn't make sense," I said with a shake of my head.

"But they'll come back," Hiccup reminded me. I nodded when I realized what he meant by that.

"But where did they go?" Astrid asked.

"Even Snowfire doesn't know," I told her. "But then again, she's never really been a social dragon, even before they started living on Berk." Both Astrid and Hiccup nodded in agreement to that.

"Well, at least it was something," Astrid murmured. She then looked back at Hiccup. "So, what were you working on before we came in?"

"Okay, uh, you're gonna think I'm crazy," Hiccup explained as he led us back into the forge towards a table. He then put the mug on the table before shaking his head in frustration. "But I just couldn't stop thinking about what Tuffnut said last night. Toothless can't come and go like other dragons and that's… just… not fair." I looked down at the object that Hiccup had in mind. Hiccup had made another tail fin. Only this time it could actually fly without having a rider control it. He held it steady with one hand and cranked down on a lever with the other. "I was up for the rest of the night, and I think I've found a way to fix that."

I had to admit, that was pretty impressive. Hiccup had taken a sip of his yaknog while Astrid eyed the device with awe. I tried not to smirk when he nearly gagged at the taste. It was pretty much the same reaction that Snotlout had showed.

"That's pretty amazing," I said out loud. "So, Toothless should be able to fly without you than?" Hiccup, with his eyes wide and his cheeks bulging with yaknog, nodded. I tried not to smirk when he glared at me. I was never going to hear the end of this.

"Wow, what a great gift," Astrid said softly while Hiccup carefully put the mug back down. He was still standing there awkwardly, with the yaknog still in his mouth. Astrid continued staring at the tail before looking at him. "But what if he never comes back?" I resisted the urge to say something than and there until Astrid realized what she had said. "But I'm sure he'd come back!" she corrected herself. She picked up her yaknog mugs once again and sauntered away. "Well, I'm going to spread some more holiday cheer! Thanks for the ideas, Alex!" she called over her shoulder.

Once Astrid was gone, Hiccup spit out the yaknog he was holding for too long. By now I couldn't hold my laughter as he just glared at me.

"Was that some sort of cruel joke?" he demanded when I finally stopped laughing. I had to wipe away a tear before gasping for breath.

"I couldn't resist, sorry," I replied. "At least she's finally thanking me." Hiccup only glared and folded his arms. I barely had a chance to respond before he smirked and pulled me in for a kiss, the taste of yaknog nearly making me gag in response. "Ugh, I'm never getting that taste out of my mouth," I grumbled after stepping back and wiping my mouth.

"Let's just try and forget about Astrid's drink, shall we?" he asked with a sly grin.

"Yeah, I don't think that's possible," I muttered with a roll of my eyes.

...

I returned to my place that night to find it strangely empty. Panic quickly settled in when I realized that I couldn't even find Spikes. I hardly got any sleep when it dawned on me that Snowfire was gone. It was like a small piece of my heart was gone now.

A few days had passed since than and still there was no sign of the dragons. To pass the time and depression I started humming Christmas tunes throughout the village. A few Vikings had stopped and looked at me like I was going insane. Whatever kept me from going nuts without knowing what had happened to the dragons helped.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Tuffnut asked as I walked past the twins. I paid no heed to their scowls as Snotlout and Fishlegs stood nearby, with Astrid hanging what looked like a cut off toe above the door to Hiccup's house.

"Singing, or humming," I replied with a shrug. "Christmas carols always make me feel better. Oh Come All Ye Faithful, and O Come O Come Emmanuel are some of my favorites." The twins just gave me weird looks, and I held back a sigh of frustration.

"Hey, Alex, would you mind if I tried something on Hiccup?" Astrid suddenly asked after hanging the missing toe. I looked at the object in disgust before glancing back at her. "It's just another tradition I was thinking of," she explained.

"Okay…." I trailed off, still feeling a bit off by her cheerful spirit. The moment Hiccup walked out of his house she held out her fist, punching him in the face. Hiccup knelt over in surprise and pain as Astrid looked down at him with a smile.

"Happy holidays, Hiccup!" she shouted.

"W-What did you do that for?" Hiccup asked while rubbing his sore cheek.

"Missing toe," Astrid explained with a smile. I nearly facepalmed when she said that. Oh she had no idea how wrong this was. But I wasn't in any hurry to change her traditions. Maybe I would explain the real tradition to Hiccup after this was over.

"Missing toe," Snotlout repeated as the others joined them.

"A new holiday tradition, created by Astrid," I replied.

"The rules are simple…." Astrid began to tell them.

"Step under a missing toe," Ruffnut started and glanced at Tuffnut.

"And you get punched under the face!" Tuffnut finished for her.

"It's tradition!" Astrid said proudly.

"Hm, not a… not a classic tradition," Hiccup said as he got up.

"It's better than yaknog," Snotlout whispered, and everyone nodded in agreement.

"You wanna try it?" Astrid asked in excitement. "Here comes Gobber!"

"Ah, I uh, have to find my helmet," Hiccup replied, grabbing a couple of oars.

"In a rowboat?" Snotlout asked skeptically. "Yeah, that's got a happy ending."

"You're dad's going to have a fit when he finds out you're looking for the dragons," I muttered as I followed Hiccup. He glanced over his shoulder before sighing in frustration.

'How is it that you know _exactly_ what I'm about to do?" he asked. I smirked before shrugging in response.

"Well, first off, I don't know what you're doing _every_ time, but… you're not exactly impossible to read," I explained. Hiccup just gave me a skeptical look.

"Alright fine, just make sure the others don't hear about this," he muttered. Just as said that he nearly bumped into Fishlegs, who was carrying a basket full of fish. When Fishlegs realized who he bumped into, his eyes widened.

"Someone must be hungry," I said after looking at the basket. "There's enough here to feed a dragon." Fishlegs looked at us both before glancing around nervously. Then he let out a fake-sounding laugh as though nothing was wrong.

"Oh! A dragon! That's eh…." Fishlegs stopped himself and suddenly ran off the way he had come. Both Hiccup and I watched him suspiciously before following him. I watched with interest as Fishlegs reached a barn and kicked the door open, while awkwardly holding on to the basket of fish. Once Fishlegs was inside we both hid behind the barn.

"So, what do you think he's hiding?" I whispered as I peered around the corner. Though I already had a good idea as to what, or more specifically, _who_ he was hiding.

"Take a wild guess," Hiccup suggested in a whisper. I smirked as Fishlegs emerged from the barn minutes later. A giddy expression was written all over his face as he walked outside. Once he was gone Hiccup placed the oars down gently and approached the door cautiously.

The moment the door was opened, Meatlug charged out of it so fast that the chains holding her down were broken. I quickly grabbed her club-like tail while Hiccup was plastered to her face as she flew away. I didn't even know Gronckles could fly this fast. I managed to push myself onto Meatlug's saddle and helped Hiccup up as he looked at Meatlug in shock.

"Meatlug?" The Gronckle's eyes lit up when she recognized Hiccup, but she made no effort to slow down. As Meatlug clumsily dipped down she nearly hit Astrid in the process while she flew on. Astrid's jaw nearly dropped open at the sight.

"Where are you two going?" Astrid shouted as Meatlug started flying away.

"I have no idea!" Hiccup shouted back as I finally helped him into the saddle.

...

Astrid just shook her head in confusion as the two flew away with Meatlug.

"Meatlug!" Fishlegs cried. Astrid turned around to see him standing at the barn watching Hiccup and Alex disappear with his dragon. "What about presents! Hey…." He trailed off when he realized that he was being watched. A few moments later and all of the Viking teens were gathered at the barn. "I can't believe them!"

"_You_ can't believe them?" Astrid asked in disbelief. She threw the chain that had been holding Meatlug down in disgust. "You _kidnapped_ your dragon!"

"Well, that makes it sound mean," Fishlegs muttered.

Already getting bored with the argument, Ruffnut nudged her brother and they walked over to the pile of hay at the back of the barn. They both knelt down to rummage through the hay until they found something that made their eyes widen.

"Hey, guys," Tuffnut said, not wanting to take his eyes off of whatever was under the hay.

"She flew away the second she was unleashed," Astrid snorted in disbelief. "And took Hiccup and Alex to who knows where."

"I'm seventy two percent sure she wanted to stay!" Fishlegs protested.

"Guys!" Tuffnut finally shouted. Fishlegs finally looked away from Astrid and looked surprised.

"Whoa, Meatlug barfed up a pile of rocks!" Astrid looked down at the hay to see blue bumpy looking rocks in a pile that were about the size of a hen hidden in the hay.

"You're such an idiot. Those aren't rocks, they're dragon eggs!" Ruffnut retorted with a roll of her eyes.

"Hey, wait!" Astrid exclaimed, picking up one of the eggs. "I bet that's why the dragons left, to lay their eggs!" While Fishlegs and the others were discussing why Meatlug had laid eggs in the process, Astrid suddenly jumped up with an idea. "Hey! Everyone's missing their dragons, right?" she asked.

"Oh, here it comes," Snotlout muttered. Astrid grabbed a ribbon from a left over decorating box and turned her back to them for a few seconds. She wasn't going to let the disappearance of dragons dampen her holiday spirits.

"I've got a new idea," she announced. "It'll be another Snoggletog tradition!" She turned around and proudly presented a Gronckle egg wrapped in a red ribbon complete with a bow. A few minutes later and more ribbon wrapping, and the other teens had walked out of the barn, each holding an egg. "Oh this is going to be good!" she nearly squealed.

With that being said, they all split up in different directions. The teens hid the dragon eggs in Viking helmets, careful not to get caught. This would hopefully make up for the disappearance of dragons. Or so Astrid thought.

...

We were still being carried off by Meatlug. Meatlug flew around some large rock formations that would jump out of the mist. Once we had narrowly missed avoiding crashing into a particularly large looking rock.

"So, where do you think we're going?" I asked warily. It felt like we'd been flying for hours. And that was probably because we had been.

"I have no idea," Hiccup admitted. Another shape appeared out of the mist, this time revealing a large ship that had crashed there. Hiccup pulled Meatlug upwards just in time to avoid colliding with it. We then flew into open sky where Meatlug was able to level out.

Eventually the thick band of clouds had finally given way. What we saw next nearly took my breath away. It was an island. Not exactly a beautiful island, but one with rocky bluffs that looked like they were formed by a volcano. There were pools of water everywhere, one giant one in the center that took up a third of the island. I couldn't see any plant life around, like the soil wasn't good enough for them.

But what really caught my attention were all of the dragons on the island. All of the dragons from Berk were here. And they had something with them that nearly made my jaw drop. Baby dragons. Actual babies that were crawling around the adults as they bathed in the sunlight.

"They come here to have their babies," I realized out loud. A Deadly Nadder approached her babies and regurgitated food for them as they scrambled around her in excitement. "Amazing!" Hiccup nodded in agreement.

Just below the ledge something had caught my eye. A Gronckle was rolling several eggs into holes filled with water. Hiccup carefully slid down the ledge to get a better look, nearly bumping into a baby dragon in the process.

I followed him shortly after to see a baby Gronckle crawl out of the water and try to follow it's mother. Just watching the baby was cute enough as it tumbled a few times trying to reach it's mother. More baby Gronckles had followed shortly after. Most were green like their mother, but there were a few brown ones, and even a pink one. Hiccup had noticed that there was one egg remaining in the hole.

"Hey, look over here! You missed one…." Hiccup stopped himself when the egg began to shake violently. Without warning it exploded in a burst of flames, sending us both sprawling backwards. The baby Gronckle thudded on the ground in a thud as the mother and it's siblings joined it. The baby than uncurled itself, let out a yawn and wandered off to find something to do.

"Well, that explains why they leave," I muttered after shaking off the dirt. I didn't even bother trying to clean off the burn marks. Hiccup sat up and stared at the remains of the egg shell in disbelief.

"Yeah, it's a good thing they didn't hatch on Berk," Hiccup said in agreement.

...

Back on Berk, Astrid had placed the last Gronckle egg in somebody's boot and tiptoed outside to make sure that no one had spotted her. Once she was outside she met with the others, shutting the door and barely able to contain her excitement.

"Wasn't this a great idea?" she asked, grinning happily. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Uh-huh," Fishlegs replied. "Everyone's going to be so surprised!"

At that moment the house that Astrid was just in, the door she had closed suddenly exploded and destroyed most of the front house. A piece of debris pelted towards Fishlegs, hitting him in the head and knocking him to the ground.

"Surprise!" Snotlout said with a grin.

The debris turned out to be a baby Gronckle that fell from the sky and landed on Fishlegs' stomach. It yawned widely and looked up at the teens. Tuffnut, Ruffnut and Snotlout leaned over and looked at the baby Gronckle with smiles.

"Awe…." They cooed over it. Astrid's eyes had widened with absolute horror when she realized what the eggs did.

"The eggs… explode?" she asked. There was a short pause of silence when suddenly another house exploded, taking with it part of the roof. Another house followed soon after. Vikings started screaming and ran out into the plaza. "The eggs explode!" she nearly shrieked.

Soon all of the eggs began to explode, one by one. They took with them walls, doors and roof shingles off of various homes. Vikings were running all over the place, not really knowing what had happened. They tried helping each other despite the explosions that were happening. Astrid was frantically running around apologizing to anyone who might actually listen. Baby Gronckles emerged from the burning homes. Two Gronckles had run into each other and sat down to watch the show.

"Awesome!" Ruffnut gasped, watching in excitement.

"Wow!" Tuffnut added, watching a piece of burning wood as it shot through the air and crashed into someone's house.

Fishlegs was holding a baby Gronckle and petting it softly as they watched the chaos unfold in front of them. Snotlout crossed his arms and looked at Astrid as she cringed at every exploding house.

"This is your best idea yet!" Snotlout yelled. "Now you know how Hiccup feels every time he screws up."

Astrid didn't see that as a bright side. The Vikings had finally stopped running when they saw the wooden tree in the center of the village burning. Three large pieces of debris had crashed into it, and now it was nothing but a burning chunk of wood.

As the explosions started to die down, an uncomfortable silence fell upon the plaza. Stoick stalked up to the tree and turned to face the crowd, his eyes absolutely livid. Astrid shrank back even further when she realized just how serious this was.

"What in Thor's name is going on?" he demanded in a booming voice.

"The eggs explode," Astrid explained in a weak voice. She looked at the chief with wide eyes, hoping that he could somehow forgive her. Behind her another house exploded, and she offered a weak smile after jumping at the noise.

...

"Any idea where Toothless might be?" I asked when a Monstrous Nightmare flew down next to me. It only shook it's head before taking off once more. I held back a sigh as Hiccup continued calling for Toothless.

So far we'd been exploring the entire island, and still no sign of the Night Fury. But we did manage to reach a ledge where Stormfly and Hookfang were. To my surprise I saw three Deadly Nadder babies and three Monstrous Nightmare babies. Two of the Nadder babies were green while the other was a bright shade of purple, my favorite color. Hookfang had one baby that looked just like him, a yellow one and than a dark purple one.

That was when I spotted Snowfire. She was further apart from the other dragons, with a single tiny baby White Terror under her wings. I looked on in shock when I saw how dark it's coloring was. Compared to Snowfire this baby was almost charcoal gray, with bright blue eyes like it's mother.

"You had a baby," I couldn't resist saying as I knelt down. Snowfire only let out a warning growl, and I took a step back. Eventually though the baby dared to venture away from her and approached me cautiously. Already it was twice the size of a baby Deadly Nadder. "Hey there." The baby took one sniff of my hand before crooning. It started running around in circles until it got dizzy and fell over.

"Amazing," Hiccup breathed when he finally caught up with me. "I'm guessing White Terrors are protective of their hatchlings," he added when Snowfire growled once again. I gave her one look before nodding in agreement.

"Something else to add to the journal," I murmured. By now the baby White Terror had gotten back up and was exploring it's surroundings. The other baby dragons had gotten away from their parents as well and started playing with it.

"Who knew they were leaving to celebrate their own holiday?" Hiccup said while watching them. Snowfire seemed to relax when she realized we weren't a threat. Hiccup laughed when the purple Deadly Nadder nudged his hand playfully. "We should get back to our holiday," he suddenly added after getting up.

'_It is good to see you again, little one_,' Snowfire hummed when she finally approached me. All I could do was nod in agreement as she nudged me gently.

"You too, Snow," I whispered while rubbing her neck. I hadn't realized how much I missed her until noticing that I was crying. I wiped away the tears and buried my face in her snout as she crooned happily. "Just, try and warn me the next time you leave like that."

"So, what do you say there, Snowfire? Mind giving us a ride back home?" Hiccup asked after watching our reunion. Snowfire gave him one look before dipping her head.

"What about your baby?" I asked as the little White Terror started growling at the other babies. They backed off, but the dark purple Monstrous Nightmare boldly approached it and toppled it over.

'_He will be safe here_,' Snowfire replied.

"We'll see you back on Berk when you're good and ready, okay gang?" Hiccup asked as Snowfire leaned down for us to climb into her saddle. Stormfly, however, took this as a sign to follow and leaped into the air with a cry. Several other dragons had watched her movements and copied her. Soon the entire island of dragons were getting ready to go back home. "No!" Hiccup tried dissuading them from following. "No, no no…. Oh, I think I just started the return migration," he muttered.

"Wait, look!" I gasped as I watched the baby dragons try to follow them. They were squawking in excitement, wriggling around and flapping their tiny wings. Then in one movement they began running towards the edge of the island, getting ready for their first flight.

"Well, if they insist…." Hiccup said reluctantly, giving up.

It was hard to watch as the baby dragons took their first leap of faith. One by one the baby dragons started taking off, one of them being Stormfly, and Hookfang's baby. They flapped their wings frantically as they struggled to stay airborne.

"Come on," I whispered, holding my breath. Slowly but surely the baby dragons began to gain height. Only the White Terror baby remained, squeaking as it watched the other babies struggle against the strong wind. One by one they were flown back to the island.

"Oh, this is never going to work," Hiccup groaned. The four baby dragons got up and shook the dust off themselves. The other babies shuffled around nervously and began squawking at their parents. Their parents hovered above, not quite sure what to do next. Hiccup looked on in confusion until his eyes lit up with an idea. "Hang on, I've got just the thing," he said before we took off

"What exactly did you have in mind?" I asked as we flew off towards the ocean. Snowfire narrowed her eyes when we approached the crashed ship.

"We could carry all of the babies in this," Hiccup explained when we got closer. "If the adults are willing to help."

'_I hope this plan of yours works_,' Snowfire growled as she managed to pry the ship out with her talons.

"It will," Hiccup reassured her.

When we arrived at the island once more the babies were still trying to figure out what to do. Snowfire dropped the large ship in the center of the island, and the babies wandered over to give it curious sniffs. Eventually the adults had realized what we were doing and encouraged the babies to get on. Hiccup had begun tying ropes around the ship with my help. Once we were finished the adults had picked up the ship by the ropes with their talons.

"It's working," I said with a smile. The babies were safe on the ship. They didn't need to worry about flying as their parents took hold of the ship and followed us back to Berk.

...

Back on Berk the Vikings were patching things up the best they could, but it would take a while for to get the village back to what it was. Meatlug's babies had fallen asleep around some of the food and supplies, twitching and occasionally rolling around in their sleep. Stoick and Gobber walked out of a destroyed house.

"Gobber, this is a disaster!" Stoick groaned.

"Ach, it's not that bad," Gobber replied.

"Not that bad?" Stoick demanded as they stomped out of the house and into the open. "The village is destroyed, the dragons have gone and left us… let's face it. This holiday is a complete – what are these people looking at?" He grumbled under his breath, noticing that everyone was fixated on the sky. Stoick followed their gaze and narrowed his eyes in confusion. "What is that?"

It looked like a big dark cloud was moving towards them. As it came nearer the shapes were more defined, and the cloud began to break up into hundreds of silhouettes of flying dragons. Something else was hanging down below them by ropes suspended by the dragon's mouths or talons. It was an old Viking ship, and leading the pack was Snowfire, with Hiccup and Alex.

"It's Hiccup!" Stoick yelled happily.

"And our dragons!" Astrid added as she lowered the hammer she'd been using to fix a house.

"Well, there's one thing you can say about those two. They know how to make an entrance," Gobber said in amazement.

All of the Vikings began to cheer and wave their hands in excitement. The dragons began flying lower and lower, until the old ship touched the ground. The ship crashed into about a foot of ice and skidded to a halt right in front of the crowd. Once the dragons had released their ropes, the ship began to tip to the side and with one final crash, finally settled on it's side. The Vikings watched the ship in anticipation.

Slowly a Deadly Nadder emerged from the ship, followed by a baby Zippleback. The Vikings began to gasp and squeal in excitement as baby dragons emerged from the ship, their parents landing beside them. Snowfire landed easily on the ice and dipped her head so that Hiccup and Alex could slide off.

Everyone had smiles on their faces as they were reunited with their dragons and their babies. It was a spectacle that no one would forget any time soon.

"Well done, you two," Stoick said, giving both Hiccup and Alex a bear hug.

"Thanks dad," Hiccup said with a smile, than he clutched his stomach to take a few deep breaths after Stoick released him.

"Everyone grab your dragons! To the Great Hall! We finally have something to celebrate!" Stoick shouted over the chorus of happy cheers.

...

Within minutes we were all at the Great Hall, celebrating. Even Snowfire was inside, though she didn't look too thrilled with the large crowd. Instead she stayed in the back to avoid contact with the other Vikings, which was fine by me.

"This is the best holiday ever!" I heard Fishlegs yell as a baby Gronckle toppled over on the table. "Who's a baby? Who's a cute baby?" Snotlout and the other Viking teens were crooning over their babies as well. I'd spotted Spikes with some baby Terrible Terrors as well, snapping at a few that grabbed his tail.

Then I spotted Hiccup, standing alone from the large group. Though he was smiling, I could tell that deep down he missed Toothless. Toothless was the only dragon who wasn't on that island. He was still gone, despite our best efforts to find him.

"Hiccup, I know how hard this must be, watching everyone with their dragons," I began with a nervous smile. He looked at me in surprise before I pulled him in for a hug. "But you did a wonderful thing by bringing all of the dragons back." I hadn't even noticed that he had his arms wrapped around me as well. For a few seconds we just stood there in silence.

"I just wish I knew where he went," Hiccup sighed.

"I don't know," I murmured, glancing around the Great Hall. My eyes landed on the door, and I noticed that it had opened. He stepped inside and glanced around until spotting us, perking up almost instantly when he did. He quickly made his way towards us, attracting quite a few Vikings' attention at that.

My mouth nearly fell open until I thought up of an idea. Glancing at Astrid, who'd noticed as well, I gestured for her to join us.

"Wow. Man, wouldn't want to be you right now. I mean, you brought back everyone's dragons except yours," Astrid said with a grin.

"Yeah, it's a pity you couldn't find him," I added after clasping my hands on Hiccup's shoulders. His face went from confused to annoyed in an instant.

"Yeah, you know, this is not helping at all, guys," he muttered crossly. We both grinned before I shoved Hiccup backwards, spinning him around so that he came face to face with Toothless. Hiccup's eyes widened and he smiled.

"Toothless! Hey bud!"

Toothless quickly dashed up to his best human friend, then came to a halt. Hiccup smiled at the dragon before throwing his arms around Toothless' neck, giving him a hug. Everyone watched with smiles on their faces as Hiccup drew back quickly.

"Bad dragon! Very bad dragon!" he suddenly scolded, waving a finger at Toothless. "You scared me to death. Don't you ever wait that long again and… what's that in your mouth?" he asked, noticing that Toothless was holding something.

Toothless immediately opened his mouth, revealing an object covered in dragon saliva. All of the Vikings turned away in disgust when Toothless dropped it right on his head. When Toothless pulled back it turned out to be the helmet that Hiccup had lost. Hiccup's hair was also now completely soaked, and he gingerly tried wiping it off his face.

"Yeah, you found my helmet," Hiccup muttered, brushing away dragon spit. Then he froze when he realized what that meant. "You found my helmet! That's where you've been?" Hiccup grinned and held Toothless' head in both hands, looking him right in the eye. "Buddy, thank you… you are amazing."

Then everyone began cheering and clapping from the crowd. Hiccup hugged Toothless again and I couldn't resist greeting the Night Fury as he warbled happily.

"Happy Snoggletog!" Astrid yelled.

...

"Are you sure that your baby will be fine?" I asked as I got ready to sleep. It had been an exhausting day. Between finding the baby dragons and returning to Berk, I was in desperate need for sleep. Snowfire only looked at me in annoyance.

'_We are survivors_,' she replied in a growl. '_He will survive without me_.' I looked at Snowfire uneasily before trying to shrug it off. Maybe White Terrors didn't need their mothers. But it still made me feel guilty that I had taken her away from him. 'You_ are my one and true hatchling, little one_,' she reminded me as she curled up on her stone slab.

I looked at Snowfire in surprise when she fell asleep. The loyalty of a dragon never ceased to amaze me. With that being said, I drifted off to sleep.

...

Winter on Berk lasts all year. It hangs on with both hands and won't let go until the only real comforts against the cold are those you keep close to your heart. It turns out that that was the best Snoggletog ever. I only just realized how close Snoggletog was to Christmas. And I wouldn't want it any other way.

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><p><strong>AN: So there's the Snoggletog special :) Couldn't resist writing it! Anywho, onto review replies!<strong>

**silverwolvesarecool - Thanks, it was definitely fun and difficult to write at the same time XD I am actually thinking of skipping Defenders of Berk, for certain reasons...**

**69759 - Yep! I'm glad it's finally over :P And I'm the same way with my music. I love to blast it. You wouldn't believe how many headphones I've gone through because of that XD And people wonder how I'm not deaf ;)**

**Guest - Here's an update!**

**Nightfire260 - Yeah, apparently Russia claims they did it. But I'm not buying it, because Sony's PSN was still down after XBOX Live went back online. And thanks!**


	36. Stories of Our World

**AN: Before I even start, I want to warn everyone that there are mentions of abuse in this chapter. I probably should have mentioned that in previous chapters as well, but I never got around to doing so. And I also wanted to recommend that if you can check out my profile for any news, some of it might be important.**

**Chapter Thirty Six**

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><p><em>"We've been given a call, Been forgiven, risen, We livin' to give him our all, Rise up from your past That's holding you down, This moment is all that matters The future is now, How will the people know if we don't tell 'em? If we fail 'em, They're stumbling in the dark But the lighters that we carryin', Don't have to wonder your purpose Or what you're here for, Reflect his image And show the world what he cares for...<em>" Messengers, Lacrae, Ft. For King and Country

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><p>I never did find out what happened to Snowfire's baby. Apparently White Terrors are known for abandoning their babies after hatching in a few days. I was reading a journal entry in Bork's journal after finding a page that wasn't tampered with by Mildew. And he seemed to know a bit about them, but not nearly enough. Either way I was still concerned about it, but Snowfire had simply pushed it away like it was nothing.<p>

A few weeks had passed since Snoggletog. Life on Berk was finally peaceful again, much to everyone's surprise. Hiccup's dad had accepted his ideas on the dragon stables, and even some fire prevention tools for any 'accidents' the dragons might have.

We've been spending the last couple of days working on both. The stables were turning out nicely since they were put in the caves in front of the island. And even the fire prevention stations were turning out nicely as well. We made sure not to place the twins on that work project; they weren't exactly fond with the idea of stopping disasters.

Which leads me to where I was now. Snowfire rested her chin on my leg as I read through the pages of a book on herbs. Thanks to Hiccup I had pretty much mastered the Norse language. A few things were still difficult for me to make out, such as numbers and certain symbols. But aside from that I didn't have too much difficulty now.

'_Why do you find such useless objects interesting_?' she muttered in annoyance. I sighed and rubbed the side of her neck before leaning against the wall. Berk didn't have a very big library, but the books they had were interesting enough. Snowfire however, didn't see the point in reading.

And judging by the dust covering the shelves on this building, neither did the Vikings. Fishlegs was the only other person I'd ever seen here. I think he was more surprised to see me than I was to see him. The moment he realized that he wasn't alone, he quickly stuttered under his breath and shuffled out of the small building.

"Because this information may be useful later on," I replied after a moment of awkward silence. Snowfire only huffed and shook her head as I started writing notes in my journal.

By now my old journal had really started looking beaten up. It actually looked like one of the older books from this library, with the binding coming out of place and some of the older pages half torn. I was always amazed at how much my life had changed when I read the older pages.

I'd had it since I started middle school. And it's been well used. In the middle of my journal was a picture I had kept after all of these years. The only memory I had left of my mom. I hadn't realized until now how much I missed her.

In the picture she still had that same wide smile, with me standing next to her. She had curly auburn and dark brown eyes with slight freckles covering her face. It only just dawned on me how much I looked like her.

'_Is something wrong_?' Snowfire suddenly asked, tilting her head in concern. I glanced at her in confusion until noticing that I was actually crying. With a sigh of frustration I placed the photo back into my journal and closed it.

"Nothing," I replied, wiping away a tear. Snowfire only narrowed her eyes and glared. "Look, I'm just…. I never realized until now how much I miss my mom," I finally murmured out loud.

'_And reading those books made you think of that_?' I looked at Snowfire in surprise before shaking my head. Glancing back at the book on herbs I make a mental note to start writing in a new journal. I didn't have very many empty pages left.

"I guess you could say that I'm an emotional wreck," I started saying before stopping myself. Snowfire made a sound that was similar to laughter, and I rolled my eyes.

"Alex, are you there?" Snowfire and I looked up almost at once at the sound of Hiccup's voice.

"Yeah, come on in!" I called after scrambling to my feet. The door opened seconds later to reveal an exhausted looking Hiccup. "Wow, you look like something the Gronckle dragged in." I couldn't help but smirk at that.

"Glad to see you too," he muttered sarcastically. I hadn't even noticed that Toothless was standing behind him, crooning in amusement. "What are you doing here?"

Hiccup looked around in confusion when he noticed where I was. I stepped back to let him in and glanced at the book I was reading earlier.

"Just catching up on some reading," I explained sheepishly. "I didn't really have a lot of time for that when… you know." I added the last part with a shrug, not wanting to mention what had happened weeks ago.

"I've always found it odd that the library never got burned down," Hiccup said thoughtfully.

I had to laugh at the irony of that. It was true that the dragon raids, and everything else, had never burned down the library. Especially since it was rarely used by anyone else.

"Don't let the twins hear that, or they might just use it as an excuse," I warned him after closing the book I'd been reading.

And that much was true. For some reason they lived for destruction. Hiccup let out a sigh and leaned against a wooden beam as Toothless warbled in concern.

"You had another nightmare, didn't you?" Hiccup's question caught me completely off guard. I looked at him in surprise before noticing the concern in his eyes. Out of all the people on Berk, he was the only one who knew. And of course he could read me like an open book. Kind of ironic now that I think about it.

"Is it that obvious?" I sighed as I straightened up a little.

I could barely remember the last time I had a nightmare like this one. But as usual it was an image of my father, always coming back to haunt me. Just when he was ready to strike I would wake up, gasping for air. It was like his fingers were still wrapped around my neck, holding on until I couldn't fight back.

Hiccup sat down next to me and glanced back at Toothless, who was now cleaning his wing. Snowfire watched us both curiously with her chin resting against the nearest table.

"You wanna talk about it?" he asked, sounding a bit more off than usual.

Really, talking about it wasn't exactly my thing. I think I'd rather face my father than actually talk about what he did to me. Instead of an actual answer, I just froze up and shook my head reluctantly. There was no way I was ready to tell anyone what he really did.

"Some things are better left unsaid," I murmured warily.

Fortunately Hiccup just left it at that. He knew better than to press for more information. The only thing talking did was bring back more painful memories, memories that I wasn't ready to deal with just yet. An awkward silence followed shortly after.

"So, uh, dad said the stables are almost finished," he said, changing the subject.

"Good, maybe now people will stop complaining about the dragons escaping all the time." I tried not to smirk at what had happened just the other day.

Apparently Stormfly had managed to escape her stable. Again. Astrid made a good point to keep her in the stable, because Stormfly had a tendency to rest on the roofs of people's homes. And the roofs weren't exactly capable of holding a dragons' weight.

'_Why must you make things so quiet_?' Snowfire demanded when another awkward silence followed. I had to laugh at that, mostly because she did have a good point. Even Hiccup was grinning sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his hair.

"Sorry," he finally muttered. I only rolled my eyes at that and leaned down so that I was sitting as well. "You know you never did tell me what your world was like," he suddenly added in an accusing tone.

I looked at him in surprise, once again before thinking over what to say next. There were so many things about my world that I'd often longed to share with others. No one seemed to care what happened or what sort of things could be seen or done in my world. Then again I could understand why.

"Well, for one thing the world isn't flat," I started, and Hiccup only grinned at that.

"I kind of already figured that out," he told me with a nod of agreement. I simply nudged him playfully and we both laughed before I continued.

"We don't need dragons to fly, but it's a bit more complicated," I added, going into detail about planes and how they worked. It was kind of difficult, considering I barely understood them myself. But for the most part Hiccup understood what I meant. Then I started telling him about what I did before waking up on Berk.

I was even more surprised that Hiccup listened to everything I said. Most people wouldn't have that kind of patience, let alone care. For a moment we just sat there again in silence after I told him about the traditions we celebrated during Christmas, which was pretty much like Snoggletog.

"Your world sounds amazing," Hiccup sighed once he took it all in.

"It's not exactly the best world," I admitted. I bit the bottom of my lip, debating whether or not I should tell him about all of the wars and whatnot. Maybe for a later day. Our worlds weren't totally different when it came to violence. "But it was all I had, until I woke up here," I suddenly added.

That much I knew was true. I wouldn't change things for the world. My life may have changed, but I often liked to think it was for the better. Before I had a chance to say anything else, Snowfire tipped over my journal, and the photo of my mom slid out of the pages.

'_He has a right to know_,' she said to me only. I glared at her when he picked it up, eyes widening in surprise.

"Is that you?" was all he could ask.

"And my mother," I replied after nodding. I let out a sigh as I looked at her once again. "She was always there for me, even when it was difficult for her. She never knew what my father did to me. I didn't want her to know."

I swallowed as I remembered the sudden fear my father would bring to me once she left for work. He always knew how to ensure that I would listen, no matter what.

"You look just like her." Hiccup kept glancing between the picture and me before giving it back. For a moment his cheeks turned a bright shade of red before he brushed it off, and I couldn't help but smirk.

"That's probably a good thing," I said after putting it back in my journal. "Because I'd be afraid of my own reflection if I looked anything like him…." I stopped myself after realizing what I'd just said. "Come on, there's something I want to show you," I suddenly murmured, trying to shake it off.

Hiccup looked like he was ready to say something when he thought better of it. Once I'd put my journal back in Snowfire's saddle, I led the way out of the library and we took off towards one of the sea stacks. Once we landed Hiccup glanced at me in confusion, but I held a hand up towards the ocean.

Dragons were always a spectacle to watch, but there were some creatures that I never grew tired of. And whales were one of those creatures. A pod of Narwhals liked to hunt near the island of Berk. I'd discovered that a few days ago when patrolling the island.

It took a moment for them to come into focus. But eventually their gray-dappled bodies emerged from the water. It was easy to tell the males apart from the females, because they had those tusks. And sure enough I could make out a tusk in the distance poking through the water.

"What… are those?" Hiccup asked in disbelief as they got closer, but only a little. From what I'd read when I was younger, they preferred deeper cold waters. Which Berk was perfect for.

"They're called Narwhals," I explained. "People from my world studied creatures like them. I've always found them just fun to watch." Snowfire let me lean against her shoulder as she stood straight up, keeping an eye on them.

'_Why do they have those horns_?' she suddenly asked. I tried not to laugh when Hiccup asked the same thing. You'd think that someone would have seen them by now.

"First of all, they're called tusks, and only the males have them," I told them. "I'm not entirely sure what they use them for, but they're not dangerous. They feed mostly on fish like dragons."

"I never realized how much is actually out there, in the world," Hiccup breathed as the whales disappeared back into the water. "It makes you realize just how small we really are."

I nodded in agreement at that. There was still so much that I had to learn about this world. And maybe it was time that I started discovering more possibilities. With dragons just about anything was possible. Other than going back to my own world of course.

"Thank you, for showing this to me," Hiccup suddenly added. I looked at him in surprise before nodding.

"It's a good place to sit and think," I replied. "When I need to of course," I suddenly added with a sheepish grin.

Hiccup suddenly wrapped his arm around me as Toothless and Snowfire stood together, side-by-side. For the first time I realized how safe I felt in his arms. Hiccup wasn't like any other guy I had met. And for that I was thankful. I couldn't imagine my life without him now.

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><p><strong>AN: There's the end of that chapter. I know my facts on Narwhals aren't completely true, but I did my best XD They are actually my favorite type of whale, next to the Bottlenose Dolphin :) So starting next chapter I might lead into the second movie... I'm not entirely sure yet. We shall see ;)<strong>

**silverwolvesarecool - Thanks! I doubt her baby will show up in the second movie (as explained in this chapter), but it may make an appearance later on.**

**69759 - XD Trust me, you're not the only one who does that. I used to do that when I was younger :P**

**Guest - I can see why you don't like his mother. Though I can understand why she never went back. It was probably more out of fear than anything else that she stayed.**

**Reader103 - I hope this chapter explained some of that!**

**Nightfire260 - I would say either Russia or North Korea. Both countries are kind of mad at the US (than again who isn't?). Frankly I'm not really concerned one way or another, I still have my Nintendo 3DS, and no one hacks their systems XD And thanks, I actually was looking forward to writing it :)**


	37. Part 3: Welcome To Itchy Armpit

**Chapter Thirty Seven**

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><p>"<em>Oh, I know this song won't do, Enough to prove my love to you, In my heart you'll always know, There is a place only love can go There is a place only you can go...<em>" A Place Only You Can Go, NEEDTOBREATHE

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><p>Here on Berk we enjoy our new way of living. Five years ago it was Viking against dragon, and often to the death. But that all changed, and now we have our best kept secret. Granted the place doesn't look like much. But this wet heap of rock packs more than a few surprises.<p>

Life here can be amazing. But it's not for the faint of heart. While most people enjoy hobbies like whittling or needlepoint, we Berkians prefer something a little more exciting: Dragon racing.

Now, it may not sound like your average sport. But there's a lot more to it than that. The riders are covered with face paint to match their team's color, and they have to chase down sheep as their primary target. Let's just say that it has become a very popular, and very competitive sport.

Before I even begin I should let everyone know that a year has passed since the whole Snoggletog incident. Life has definitely changed for the better for the dragons and Berkians. For instance, Hiccup designed top of the line fire prevention, and even built stables for the dragons as well. Not only that, but we also have a dragon-wash station along with feeding stations for visitors. Needless to say Berk has become a popular destination for visiting dragons.

And of course I get stuck watching them to make sure they don't cause any trouble. You see, I have an ability that most people still don't fully understand. I can bond with almost any dragon, trained or wild. I've learned over the years that my abilities are limited, yes, but they can come in handy.

Not only has Berk changed for the better, but everyone else I've gotten to know have changed as well. Hiccup is now the tallest rider in the group, much to Snotlout's annoyance. He built a weapon that reminds me a bit of a light saber from Star Wars, called _Inferno_. Astrid had changed her hair style to make it look almost like Heather's when we first met and even changed her outfit. Snotlout, surprisingly, was the shortest in the group now. Fishlegs was still pretty much the same, though he constantly tested his knowledge on the dragons when he could. And the twins were… well, you know. How they usually are.

The dragon races were held annually every couple of weeks. Astrid was on the top ranking right next to Hiccup and me. She made it her life's goal to make sure that she won every race. But as so often happens on this island, things changed. Snotlout and Fishlegs were fighting over Ruffnut of all people. They seemed to decide that Astrid wasn't going to choose either of them, and went for someone who couldn't beat them up as often. I wondered if they regretted that choice now.

Snowfire sat perched on a sea stack a few feet away from the island, watching the race go by. I'd decided not to take part in it for a few reasons. One of them being, I wanted to test something out. It wasn't necessarily a good thing to try something like this on my own, but I couldn't resist. I sat in Snowfire's saddle as she took off towards a herd of Timberjacks. Compared to other dragons they were probably my second favorite, with long eel-shape bodies and huge wingspans.

The Timberjacks didn't seem to mind as Snowfire flew in between them. She narrowed her eyes as one of them, a dark orange one with brown spots, looked directly at us. Another flew underneath, giving me the perfect opportunity to try out my next stunt.

"Are you ready girl?" I asked after patting her on the head. Snowfire only growled in response and rolled her eyes. She wasn't overly fond with how risky this was. But once again, I couldn't resist. "Just try and relax," I whispered to myself as Snowfire leveled out.

With one quick glance over my shoulder, I took a deep breath before standing up and taking a leap of faith. Fortunately I landed squarely on the back of the Timberjack underneath us. It let out a yelp of surprise before relaxing a moment later. I stepped on him lightly enough that he would hardly notice.

Snowfire kept a close eye on me as she watched. She knew what to do if things went wrong. The Timberjacks were a friendlier race of dragons; they usually kept well away from humans when they could. Once another got closer, I jumped off the Timberjack I was on and landed on the back of another one. This time the yellow and white Timberjack growled in response, twisting a little as I held on gently.

"Easy, I'm not going to hurt you," I reassured it. The Timberjack relaxed after that, much to my relief. Finally Snowfire flew down beside it, stretching out a wing so that I could step lightly across without startling the herd. "That went better than I expected," I added once we were far enough away.

'_If you consider almost falling off better_,' Snowfire muttered with a roll of her eyes. '_Not all dragons will take to such change so lightly_.'

"I know, but think of the possibilities," I murmured almost absently. Now I was laying on her back as she flew on, staring at the blue sky. "I never realized what I could do with my ability. And now…." I closed my eyes as I thought of it.

Flying on a dragon was like nothing I had ever experienced before. When I was younger I had been terrified with the idea of flying. Now I can barely remember why. Snowfire had opened my world when she took me on my first flight. And finding Berk, along with it's inhabitants, made things even better. Up here I felt more than just alive. Flying was like… freedom.

I hadn't even noticed how far we had gone until a few rock pillars stretched before us. My heart nearly skipped a beat when Snowfire barely managed to miss hitting one. She growled in annoyance before pulling further up.

Just beyond the rocky islands outside of Berk was the Archipelago. Hiccup and I had been mapping it out over the past year, searching for any Night Furies in the process. Unfortunately our searches hadn't been that successful. But I've learned in my time here that one couldn't give up hope. To give up hope was like admitting defeat.

'_Someone else is here_,' Snowfire suddenly muttered after picking up a familiar scent. My eyes widened when I realized that this was another new island. The rocky shapes were starting to look unfamiliar, despite all of the islands we had already seen. She landed on the nearest pillar just as the fog began to clear.

"Looks like another new island to add to the maps," I said while trying to get a clearer view. The island wasn't all that big, but it held an assortment of plants and tall trees. Maybe a little island exploring wouldn't be such a bad thing. "Whadya say to a little island exploring?" I asked out loud.

'_Perhaps, if we find more wild dragons_,' Snowfire replied, narrowing her eyes slightly at the thought. Along with discovering new islands we had also made a point of discovering new dragons as well. It amazed me at how many different species there were. Some were extremely hostile towards intruders, while others were as friendly as a Terrible Terror.

Snowfire took off once again and flew towards the island, and sure enough we weren't the only ones there. Hiccup was just as surprised to see us as we were to see him. He already had the map out and was drawling the details when Snowfire landed nearby.

"I thought I might find you here," I once I hopped off her saddle.

"Afternoon milady," Hiccup said as Toothless crooned in excitement and bounded towards us. "Where have you been?"

"Where have I been?" I repeated with a smirk. "Oh the usual, jumping off of Timberjacks and annoying Snow," I added when Hiccup folded his arms. His eyes widened while Snowfire just snorted in annoyance. Toothless nudged my hand as I started rubbing his head affectionately. "I'm surprised you weren't at the race this morning," I added when Toothless and Snowfire started chasing each other.

"I've uh, been avoiding my dad," he admitted as I sat down to join him.

"Oh no. What happened now?" I asked.

"Oh you're going to – you're going to love this," handing me a charcoal pencil, and I began to drawl on the map. "I wake up, the sun is shining, Terrible Terrors are singing on the rooftop, I saunter down for breakfast thinking all is right with the world and I get, 'Son, we need to talk.'" His imitation of Stoick was almost spot on.

"Not now, dad. I've got a whole day of goofing off to do," I said while rolling my shoulders. I couldn't resist making my worst imitation of Hiccup. And the look he gave me was priceless.

"Okay, first of all, I-I don't sound like that. Who – who is this character?" asked Hiccup as he grinned at me.

'_I thought it was realistic enough_,' Snowfire hummed in amusement when we both looked at her. Even Toothless was crooning with laughter.

"And second, what is that thing you're doing with my shoulders?" he added after looking back at me. I only shrugged my shoulders more, causing even Snowfire to laugh at the sight while Hiccup shook his head in amusement. "A very flattering impression; anyway, he goes," he said with a smirk before continuing his impression of Stoick, "'You're the pride of Berk, son. And I couldn't be prouder!'"

"Ah, thanks dad, I'm pretty impressed myself," I continued with my impersonation and waved my hands about.

"When have I ever done that with my hands?" Hiccup laughed and waved his hands about.

"You just did!" I pointed out and laughed.

"Ah, kay, just hold still. Very serious," Hiccup suddenly warned me before holding my shoulder. I just made a point to hide my grin, despite how difficult that was at the moment. "You're all grown up now. And since no chief can ask for a better successor, I've decided—"

"To make you chief?" I suggested in a question, my eyes widening in surprise. "That's… amazing!" Before Hiccup could say anything, our dragons started running around and knocked us both over.

"Yeah, so…. This is what I'm dealing with," he sighed after I helped him back up.

"What'd you tell him?" I couldn't help but ask, already guessing what he did.

Being put under such pressure wasn't necessarily a good thing. I knew how much Stoick was looking forward to making Hiccup chief. But it was a huge responsibility, and one I had a feeling Hiccup wasn't ready for.

"I-I didn't. By the time he turned around I was gone," he explained as I picked the map off the ground.

"Well, it is a lot of responsibility," I murmured thoughtfully. "I'd have to work on the map on my own for sure, and someone would have to fly Toothless since you'll be too busy, but…." I paused and looked at Hiccup anxiously.

"I-It's not me, Alex," he sighed as he sat back down. "All those speeches and planning, running the village, that's _his_ thing."

"Hiccup, I get that, really. But, you are the chief's only son. I mean, being chief…. What an honor. I'd be pretty excited," I said after sitting down next to him.

And yet there was another part of me that understood why Hiccup was so reluctant to take his father's place as chief.

"It's just…. You already know your place on Berk. You already know who you are. But me? I'm still looking. I know, I'm not my father, and I've never met my mother. So…. What does that make me?"

I looked at Hiccup in surprise and was tempted to tell him that he wasn't the only one who felt that way. Part of me always felt like I still hadn't found my place on the island. But I did know that my heart belonged with the dragons. Maybe that was what he referred to.

"What you're looking for, isn't out there, Hiccup," I sighed after leaning against his shoulder before placing my hand on his chest. "It's in here. Maybe you just don't see it yet." I hadn't even noticed the dragon saliva until kissing him on the cheek.

"Maybe," said Hiccup as he started standing up, "but you know, there is something out there."

I glanced up in surprise when he tapped my shoulder. Sure enough there really was something out in the distance. There were two huge rocky peeks with smoke rising between them. A few dead trees lined the forest up ahead, and I realized that something wasn't right.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So here's the beginning of part three. I'm actually really excited about this part. The second movie is probably by far my favorite :) Of course Guardians of the Galaxy will always hold a special place in my favorite list though...<strong>

**Sil - Thanks! and, well, those are questions that will be answered in the future. I love making readers wonder what happened to my characters. Especially when the truths is finally revealed later on ;) And unfortunately it isn't snowing... I'd love to have some snow; it's been really warm here on the East Coast lately.**

**69759 - You might have been ;) And it sounds like an interesting title. Definitely different from the ones I've heard. And thanks, I've been looking forward to the second movie too! :D**

**Cutie Kyuubi - Unfortunately she probably won't be opening up to anyone about her father any time soon. It may take a while for that to happen.**

**Nightfire260 - Yes I did get an XBOX for Christmas. It was worth the money! :D I actually may make a one-shot based off of what Astrid has to say about their relationship... I'm not entirely sure yet though.**


	38. Eret, Son of Eret

**Chapter Thirty Eight**

We flew beyond the two peeks and what we saw next made our eyes widen in disbelief. Below us a badly burned forest stretched ahead for miles. There were no signs of life as far as I could see. Anyone smart enough would have fled the area hours ago.

As we flew further ahead I spotted something that nearly made my heart skip a beat. It was at the edge of the forest, further out in the ocean. But even from this distance I could easily make out the large shape. A large structure that was made of ice loomed ahead, jutting out in spikes that tore apart any ships standing in it's way.

"My God," was all I could whisper. Hiccup shared my worry with the faintest nods.

"Stay close," he said when Toothless flew closer to Snowfire. It looked like a fortress made of ice. Something I'd only seen in pictures. Large glacial mountains like this were something I've always wanted to see, but never like this. "What happened here?" Hiccup asked.

'_It was not created by my kind_,' Snowfire commented after growling in concern. I looked down to see a giant dragon track in a mound of mud. Whatever made those tracks was a lot bigger than the Red Death. And they were as big as a mountain.

Toothless didn't seem to like the print either as he started getting uncomfortable. He warbled nervously as Hiccup tried reassuring him. "All right, easy bud," he murmured as Toothless shook his head.

"This is nothing like what Snowfire's created," I said after biting the bottom of my lip. It made even me feel nervous as I wondered what sort of creature could do this. Snowfire shook her head as Toothless had earlier before swerving to the right. "Hiccup!" My warning call came too late.

Down below a group of people on a Viking ship had spotted us. One man had pointed towards us before shouting something. They were too far away to hear, but I knew already what was happening before they could attack.

Snowfire rolled to the side, but the bola on the net managed to wrap itself around her tail fin. She let out a roar of fury as she was downed, and of course I had to slip off at the last minute. Luckily Toothless had flown just in time to catch me.

"What was that about?" Hiccup asked. The leader of the group had no idea who he was dealing with. The air suddenly got colder than it was before, and Snowfire bellowed furiously at the group of Vikings charging at her.

"Better get down there before she kills them all," I muttered as she already swatted away a few Vikings with her tail. The man in question laughed when Toothless flew towards the ship, with Hiccup yelling at them to stop. "Snowfire!"

I grabbed the nearest piece of wood once Toothless had dropped onto the ship while Hiccup grabbed _Inferno_. It was obvious as soon as we landed that the men on this ship weren't Vikings. They were pirates.

"What are you doing?" I demanded. Suddenly Snowfire let out another roar and lifted her head, tossing a few other pirates into the ocean in the process. She whipped her tail around, tossing the rope off before trotting over to my side, ignoring the pirates threatening her.

'_I should bite your heads off for this_!' she snarled. The leader of the pirates only smirked and stepped forward, eying both dragons dangerously. He had jet-black hair and bright brown eyes, and looked to be in his later twenties. What drew my attention though were the twin swords on either side of his waste, still in their sheathes.

"Back again are we?" he asked, then noticed exactly what Snowfire was before glancing at Toothless. "Soil my breeches, a Night Fury and a White Terror. I thought these dragons were all gone for good! Looks like our luck's taken a turn for the better lads! Don't think Drago has one of those in his army." Snowfire snarled again at the name, causing the other pirates to step back out of fear.

"Dragon army?" I whispered in disbelief.

"Look, we don't want any trouble," Hiccup tried reasoning with them.

"Yeah, so why don't you let us go before Snowfire decides to change her mind," I added a bit more aggressively.

"Ha! You should've thought of that before you stole all of our dragons and blasted our fort to bits!" the pirate retorted, gesturing to the ice structure behind them.

"What are you…. What are you talking about?" I demanded, mostly because I knew we weren't the ones behind this. Unless Snowfire was going out without my noticing, which was highly unlikely.

"You think we did this?" Hiccup asked in equal disbelief.

"Ha! Dragon trapping is hard enough work as it is, without having do-gooder Dragon Riders sneaking around rescuing them," replied the pirate.

"What do-gooder—" Hiccup paused when he realized what the man just said. My eyes widened in surprise as Hiccup glanced at me. "Wait, there are other Dragon Riders out there?" he asked.

"You mean, other than your thieving friend from last night? You tell me," the pirate said before walking towards us. "You may have an ice-spitting dragon on your side, but I still have a quota to fill. How do you suppose we explain this to Drago Bludvist?"

"Drago What-vist?" Hiccup asked, sounding even more confused than before. All I could do was watch them carefully. The man was still glaring at Snowfire as she let out another warning growl, one that would send anyone else running. "Does anything you say make sense?"

"He's expecting a new shipment of dragons for his army by tomorrow," one of the pirates explained.

"And Drago don't take well to excuses," another pirate added.

"This is what he gave me the last time I came up empty handed," the leader said as he pulled down his shirt. Just above his neck there was a brand mark on his skin, making me wince. It looked like a dragon's skull that had a sword going through it. "He promised to be far less understanding in the future."

"All right, we don't know anything about a dragon thief, or an ice-spitting dragon…." Hiccup paused and looked at me uneasily. I just nodded before glancing at Snowfire. She may be able to breathe ice, but she was also able to breathe fire as well. That complicated things here. "Or your lunatic boss and his dragon army, okay? Just let us go, strange hostile person whom we've never met."

"Oh, where are my manners?" asked the pirate leader as he gave us a mocking bow. "I am Eret, son of Eret." He then pulled one of his swords out of it's sheathe and pointed it at us. "Finest dragon trapper alive, after all, it's not just anyone who can capture a Night Fury and White Terror."

"Well, with that being said, this is Snowfire," I gestured to Snowfire, who growled in response. "And she doesn't like sharp, pointy objects."

"And this is Toothless," Hiccup added when Toothless let out an irritated growl. "He says we're leaving. Now!" Eret only laughed in response.

"They all say that. Rush 'em lads!" The pirates had started charging at us, but Toothless fired a plasma blast at the ice structure behind them. The blast managed to knock a few chunks of ice off, blocking their path to us. Snowfire flapped her wings furiously at the nearest pirates, sending them flying into the ocean when they were still running.

Some of the pirates managed to get past the ice and charged after us. Snowfire grabbed one pirate with her teeth and threw him off the ship, sending a warning growl to the others making their way towards us. Another had tried sneaking up from behind, but I kicked him in the chest with my foot, knocking him over in an instant.

Hiccup turned Inferno on, creating a fire-like sword that stopped a few pirates in their tracks. But their confusion only lasted for a few seconds before they attacked again. Snowfire suddenly swung her tail once again into the group of pirates, knocking them off their feet in the process.

"Let's go," I said as I hopped into her saddle. Staying here would only make things worse. Another pirate was running towards me, but I swatted them in the face with the plank of wood I'd been holding. Hiccup did the same just as Eret had recovered from the attack, only to watch us disappear in the distance.

"You will never hold on to those dragons!" Eret shouted. "You here me? Drago is coming for them all!" Arrows were sent in our direction as Toothless and Snowfire easily dodged them. Once we were far enough away, I let out a sigh of relief.

But the relief was short lived. Hearing what Eret had said left me feeling worried, more for the dragons than for myself. What exactly was this Drago character planning? And why did he need dragons of all creatures?

"That was bad," Hiccup muttered as we flew back towards Berk.

'_Those humans can stuff themselves with ice_,' Snowfire huffed angrily. I patted her on the neck, still feeling wary about what just happened.

"We need to warn your dad about this," I said while biting my lower lip. It was a habit I did when I got nervous. Snowfire had pointed it out a few times, much to my annoyance.

"Yeah, because he doesn't have enough to worry about." I looked at Hiccup warily, already knowing where this would head. Something told me that things weren't going to get any better.

...

We got back later that afternoon, flying past Gothi's house and towards the village plaza. For the time being I'd left Spikes in Gothi's care. Apparently she liked the extra company that Terrible Terrors provided.

I spotted the other Viking teens flying around nearby, whooping with laughter when they scared off a group of Terrible Terrors. Down below Gobber was working with a Hideous Zippleback with blue and yellow scales. After becoming the dragon dentist, he was kept busy working with any dragon that needed his help.

Toothless let out a roar as he landed on the plaza, with Snowfire landed right next to him. The crowd cheered as soon as they saw Hiccup, and Stoick rushed outside to greet him with a big smile on his face.

"Ah-ha-ha, there he is! The pride of Berk!" Stoick yelled proudly.

"Look who's finally decided to show up for work," said Gobber, looking up at Hiccup for a brief moment.

"Hey uh, dad, can we have a word?" Hiccup asked, rushing over to Stoick.

"Something you're itching to tell me, son?" Stoick asked, placing an arm around his shoulder.

I had to laugh at the sight. Though it did annoy me slightly that Stoick was ignoring Hiccup, again, this wasn't anything new. The look Hiccup gave me was priceless. I followed them into the forge as Stoick put on a work apron, something I never expected to see on him.

"Ah, not quite the itch you're probably thinking of, but yes," Hiccup replied awkwardly.

"Ah, good man!" Stoick said, tossing him an apron. "Now, lesson one; a chief's duty is to his people. So…." Stoick paused and looked at one of the wood pieces with a number carved into it. "Forty-one!"

"Wha— Could we please talk about this in private?" Hiccup asked. And as usual Stoick ignored him.

"Forty—"

"That's me! That's me! I'm next to you. I was ahead o' you," replied one villager.

"'scuse me, I've been here all day!" the villager said as he pushed his way towards the front. "Okay, okay. I want two of those high seaters, with lots of spikes and big storage compartments."

"Absolutely! You got it sir!" Stoick said cheerfully.

"Ah, dad, this is a little more important than building saddles," Hiccup insisted.

"Ah. Lesson two. No task is too small when it comes to serving your people," Stoick replied, ignoring Hiccup once again before patting him on the shoulder. All I could do was lean against a table and watch.

"Dad!"

"Oh, excuse me Grump," Stoick apologized after hopping over Grump, Gobber's helping hand dragon.

Grump was a Hotburple. They had a large head that made up most of their body, and a club-like tail that was similar to the Gronckle. In fact, Grump was a distant relative to the Gronckle, just like Snowfire was a distant relative to Night Furies. At the moment Grump was sleeping right next to the burner that kept the forge running.

"Ah Grump, you let the forge die! Light it again!" Gobber yelled. Grump opened his eyes ans pointed lazily at the forge in front of him. Again I had to laugh when the area around Grump lit on fire from his lava blast. Gobber groaned in annoyance as I pulled the chain next to me and put the fire out. "Thanks Alex," Gobber muttered to me before turning to Grump. "That's it Grump. You're going up for adoption!"

"He doesn't mean it," I said after patting Grump on the head.

"Go on, have a way." Stoick was gesturing to a tool kit by the time I caught up with them. I hadn't missed the fact that the other teens had joined us either.

"Yeah, but seriously. I really need to tell you about this new land we came across," Hiccup kept insisting.

"Another one?" Gobber asked as he pulled his hammer out of his prosthetic. He came up with a tool that rotates to whatever tool he needed for his prosthetic arm. It actually was a brilliant idea.

"Any new dragons?" Fishlegs asked in excitement.

"We didn't stick around long enough to find out," Hiccup explained. "These folks weren't particularly friendly."

"Oh, really?" Gobber didn't really sound surprised. "Your Night Fury and White Terror didn't bring them cheering to the rooftops?"

"No, no, this was different," Hiccup told him. "They weren't your standard run of the mill who-has I've come to enjoy." Hiccup paused to adjust the saddle form after giving it shape. "These guys were trappers…. Dragon trappers."

"You should've seen the fort, all blown apart and stuck in giant spikes of ice," I added. "It was… weird."

"I've never seen anything like it," Hiccup said with a nod.

"They also mentioned an ice-spitting dragon and another Dragon Rider," I put in. "I know for a fact that the ice was too big for something that Snowfire could create."

I glanced out the window to where she was waiting patiently for me. There was no way she could have done all of that.

"A-And worst of all, they thought we did it!" Hiccup exclaimed.

"Ya know, you two are going to get yourselves in serious trouble one of these days," Gobber said while using his prosthetic brush to come his mustache. "Not everyone appreciates this way of life."

"Gobber's right," Stoick agreed with his right-hand man as he pulled off a piece of leather from the saddle and placed it on Gobber's table. "Best we keep to our own. Besides, we'll have more important uses for your time." Stoick then turned on the saw blade and rubbed his hands excitedly. "Once we make the big announcement."

Hiccup sighed in frustration and pulled the lever that powered the saw blade.

"Dad, they are building a dragon army, or-or at least the guy they're working for is," he said with a look of determination. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at Hiccup in surprise and worry. "Ah, Drago Bloody-fist or something…." Hiccup paused as he tried to remember the name.

Stoick's eyes widened and he locked eyes with Gobber, who gave the faintest nods. Both men didn't look too thrilled.

"I'll bloody his fist with my face if he tries to steal my dragon!" Tuffnut shouted, punching a fist into his hand.

"Or mine!" Ruffnut added.

"Ugh, you're such a moron!" Tuffnut groaned.

"A beautiful moron," said Fishlegs.

"Yeah," Snotlout agreed dreamily. Ruffnut groaned in disgust. Stoick's expression grew serious as he suddenly grabbed Hiccup by the shoulder.

"Bludvist. Drago Bludvist." My eyes widened when I suddenly remembered the name. Then I noticed something I never expected to see. Fear. Stoick's eyes showed real fear.

"Uh, yeah," Hiccup said. Then Hiccup's eyes widened when he realized what Stoick had said. "Wait, do you know him?" Stoick didn't answer. Instead he glanced at Gobber once more as they stood there in awkward silence.

"We need to move."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Is anyone else having trouble viewing updated stories? I think something's wrong with FF. They obviously don't let us know when they're running updates or experiencing issues, so word of mouth would be much better. Hopefully this chapter is viewable : I also hope that everyone had a great New Year! :D**

**Sil - XD That is hilarious! I know that California gets snow in higher elevations, but it's still warmer on the west coast than here in the eastern states. And nope, my Username is actually based off of a song by Matthew West :) He's a Christian artist who's music I really love. You should give it a listen to when you get the chance :)**

**69759 - Wow, you've got a lot planned! I'm in the works of two new fics that probably won't be posted any time soon, but I'm hoping to get the first few chapters finished before I publish the story itself. I like to do that when it comes to writing, just to keep up with the updates :)**


	39. The Tale of Drago Bludvist

**Chapter Thirty Nine**

I found myself running after the other Vikings as they led their dragons to the stables. Hiccup was running after his dad trying to pry more information on Drago Bludvist. I still had to scoff at that name. Even if the idea of creating a dragon army terrified me, the name was just ridiculous enough to make me laugh.

Apparently though the man himself was no laughing matter. In fact Stoick had looked absolutely horrified when Hiccup mentioned his name. I'd never seen that look in Stoick's eyes. Stoick was brave, and never showed fear.

I followed Hiccup down the stairs to where the Dragon Hanger was. It was pretty much like where people in my world would keep air planes. Only here we kept dragons when they weren't in flight. Kind of ironic now that I thought about it. Gobber and Astrid were following close behind as I made my way to where Hiccup and Stoick were.

"Ground all dragons!" Stoick ordered above the chaos and noise that followed. Snowfire let out a low growl as she flew down to us from where she had been perched. She wasn't exactly fond with the idea of being grounded.

'_No human will keep me locked away_,' she hissed as she glared at Stoick. I had to keep an arm on her to stop her from charging. Stoick only just glared back.

"Dad, why?" Hiccup asked, but once again Stoick chose to ignore him.

"Seal the gates, lower the wall doors," Stoick continued ordering.

"Whoa, whoa whoa, wait! What is happening?" Hiccup asked.

"Come on! You heard the man, lock it down," Gobber called to a group of Vikings. They guided their dragons into their pens before closing the doors.

"No dragon sets foot or leaves this island until I give the word," Stoick said to all of us. Hiccup glanced at me in confusion, but I just shrugged. I didn't know what was going on in his father's mind. Frankly it was beginning to scare me.

"Who exactly is Drago Bludvist?" I managed to ask once all of the dragons were settled in. "Because something tells me that he's more than just some crazy guy you knew is stirring trouble from a far away land." Stoick let out a sigh of frustration before looking down at the two of us.

"Because Drago Bludvist is a madman," he explained. "Without any conscious or mercy, and if he's built a dragon army, God's help us all. Get them into the pens, quickly!" he added to a couple of stray dragons still out of their pens.

"Let's ride back there. We can follow those trappers to Drago and talk some sense into him," Hiccup tried reasoning with his father.

Which is something I've learned that was almost impossible. Once Stoick's mind was made up, it was pretty difficult to change it. Just look at how long it took for him to realize dragons weren't a threat!

"No, we fortify the island and contact our allies," Stoick retorted.

"It's our duty to keep the peace!"

"Peace is over, Hiccup," Stoick snapped, then he shook his head and sighed. "I must prepare you for war."

War…. It was such an ugly word. I hated the idea of going to war, especially when we had finally made peace with the dragons. But I knew that part of me was just being selfish. This wasn't my home world.

"War?" Hiccup asked, equally stunned as me. "Dad, if Drago's coming for our dragons, we can't just stick around and wait for him to get here! Let's go find him and change his mind!"

"Some minds won't be changed, Hiccup," Stoick told him. "Berk is what you need to worry about. A chief protects his own."

Yet we managed to change Stoick's mind. I knew that there was some chance of changing Drago's mind, even if Stoick didn't see it. And fortunately I wasn't the only one who believed it as I ran over to Snowfire.

"Wait, don't!" Astrid called as Hiccup ran over to Toothless. Snowfire had already taken off and flew towards the closing doors.

"I have to," Hiccup told her. Stoick seemed to have heard Toothless' roar as well as he yelled after his son. Snowfire had narrowly avoided getting stuck under the hanger door as she folded her wings and flew through, with Toothless right on her tail.

Once we were gone a sense of relief washed over my shoulders. I knew we were never going to hear the end of this one. But I also knew there had to be a way to stop this from turning into a full-out war.

"Once we get to them what are we going to say?" I asked when Toothless caught up with Snowfire.

"I'm going to show them that dragons can be trusted," Hiccup explained.

Fortunately it didn't take nearly as long to track them down this time. Hiccup had just followed the trail to where the ice structure was and continued north. And sure enough a smaller ship did start to loom in view.

Eret had spotted us from a distance and started firing nets right away. But Snowfire and Toothless dodged the nets with ease. I'd already grabbed a sword that I pulled from the forge from it's sheathe. Thanks to Astrid I'd learned a thing or two about fencing, much to my surprise. She was a good teacher, she was just more skillful in the use of axe throwing.

I kept my sword in it's sheathe as Hiccup had Toothless land on the ship, with Snowfire landing shortly after. Her eyes were narrowed dangerously at the pirates staring at us in shock and fear. Eret was the only one who glared back.

"And here I was worried we might turn up empty handed," said Eret with the slightest chuckles. He grabbed his sword and pointed it at us.

"Nope. It's your lucky; we give up," Hiccup suddenly replied, putting his hands in the air.

'_What are you doing_?' Snowfire asked in annoyance. Eret was just as surprised as we both climbed out of our saddles. I sure hope this was part of Hiccup's plan. Otherwise we were screwed.

"That's one Night Fury, and one White Terror, and two of the finest Dragon Riders west of Luck Tuck," Hiccup told them once the pirates lowered their swords in confusion. He threw a net over me as I dropped my weapon, causing even more confusion. "That'll make the boss happy, right?" He shoved my only weapon into Eret's chest before guiding me towards the brig. "Excuse us."

"Hiccup, what are you doing?" I whispered as we entered the brig. Toothless was about to follow us, but Hiccup stopped him.

"Ah, Toothless, stay," Hiccup said as he closed the door. "The dragons really don't care for cramped spaces, so they'll just hand out with you. They won't be any trouble."

The pirates ignored his warning and raised their weapons, at both Toothless and Snowfire. Both dragons let out intimidating growls that sent the men back a few paces.

"Unless you do that." By now I had already guessed what Hiccup was planning. "You know, wooden boat, big endless ocean. H-How good is your swimming?"

"Not good," one of the pirates admitted, lowering his weapon.

'_This plan of yours had better work_,' Snowfire grumbled as Hiccup closed the door.

I nodded in agreement but didn't bother saying anything. Suddenly Hiccup stuck _Inferno_ between the bars and ignited it. He then stuck his head out of the door as he wedged it open.

"Oops, almost forgot. Can't have armed prisoners," he pointed out, handing _Inferno_ to one of the pirates.

"How exactly is this a plan?" I asked in a whisper.

Though I already had an idea as to where this was going. With that Zippleback gas and Monstrous Nightmare saliva igniting the flame, a dragon could easily be swayed by it. Just another thing that Hiccup had learned in a short year.

The pirate eyed the weapon curiously as he tried to figure out how to make it work.

"Just what every dragon trapper needs; one end coats the blade with Monstrous Nightmare saliva, and the other sprays out Zippleback gas," Hiccup explained as the pirate flicked the switch on the blade to release gas. "All it takes is a spark and…."

Hiccup quickly ducked as the pirate's friend hit the button. A huge explosion shook the entire ship, covering the deck with smoke. The two pirates stood their in shock, probably amazed to still be alive, but their clothing was now scorched. Snowfire only rolled her eyes and puffed out smoke at one of the pirates standing nearby.

"Yep, that just about did it," I said with a sheepish smirk, trying not to laugh as Toothless played with one of the sparks.

"Once they see you as one of their own, even the testiest of dragons can be trained, right bud?" Hiccup asked as Toothless warbled in agreement.

"Everyone that is, except for Snowfire," I suddenly added. I gave her one look and she rolled her eyes once again, but she understood the message.

Eret scowled and through Inferno off the ship, but Snowfire took off and chased after it.

"What are you playing at?" Eret demanded. Snowfire dropped _Inferno_ at his feet, narrowing her eyes at him.

"No game, we just want to meet Drago," Hiccup insisted as Eret through _Inferno_ again. And again Snowfire chased after it, growling in annoyance.

"Why?"

"Because we're going to change his mind about dragons," Hiccup replied. We? I had a feeling this Drago guy wasn't exactly in a listening mood.

Eret and the other pirates just laughed, having obviously thought the same thing. But Eret stopped as soon as Snowfire dropped _Inferno_ and ran over to the brig, folding her wings protectively as he glared.

"He can be really persuasive," I added helpfully, poking my head out of the brig.

"Once you've earned his loyalty, there's nothing a dragon won't do for you," Hiccup said while rubbing Toothless' head. Eret only snorted in response.

"You won't be changing any minds around here," he snapped.

'_Would you rather I bite your head off_?' Snowfire suggested in a low growl. But she made sure that Eret and the others didn't hear. I smirked and patted her on the shoulder as she nuzzled me affectionately.

"I can change yours, right here, right now," Hiccup told them as he placed his foot on the lever that controlled Toothless' tail. He then got himself out of the brig and gestured to Toothless. "Ah, may I?"

Eret didn't have a chance to answer, because a Monstrous Nightmare swooped in from nowhere and snatched Hiccup by the arms. I held back a sigh of frustration as I recognized the other Dragon Riders. The boat swayed from side to side as Hookfang flew further up, with Toothless trying to jump after his rider.

"Wonderful timing as always," I muttered under my breath.

"Dragon Riders!" Eret shouted as his men fired nets at them. Snowfire only swatted her tail at Eret, knocking him off his feet. "What?" he demanded before getting up and running to one of the net launchers.

"Something tells me Stoick isn't going to be happy." Snowfire pressed her chin against my shoulder and hummed in agreement.

'_Some minds cannot be changed_,' she reminded me. I watched the scene unfold before me as Eret fired a net at Barf and Belch. Ruffnut had her arms wide open as the net wrapped itself around them.

"What the hell's wrong with her?" I asked in a whisper. Snowfire looked just as confused until Hiccup pulled out his flight suit and glided towards Eret's ship. That was when I noticed that Eret had his net launcher aimed at Hiccup.

Without warning I charged after Eret, knocking him to the side while bruising my own shoulder in the process. But by then he had already launched the net. Luckily Hiccup was able to dodge it as he pulled out his dagger and dragged it along the sail to slide down to the deck.

"Ah, what are you guys doing here?" he demanded once he'd landed.

"We're here to rescue you," Gobber replied as Grump flew down on the deck with a thud.

"Uh, we don't need rescuing," I reassured him.

'_We were doing perfectly fine without you_,' Snowfire added in a huff.

"Oh yes, I can see that," Gobber said with a smirk.

"Enough!" Stoick's booming voice sounded from ahead as Skullcrusher came landing on the ship.

Skullcrusher had replaced Thornado when he had to release his Thunderdrum in order to take care of three babies that had lost their mother. And Skullcrusher was a new dragon known as the appropriately named Rumblethorn. He looked like a cross between a rhinoceros and a scarab beetle, with green scales mixing into brown and a club-like tail.

Stoick jumped off of Skullcrusher and walked over to us with an angry scowl on his face. Although I'll admit he's always looked like that. Somehow this seemed different though. I tried to keep calm as Stoick glared down at us.

"Well didn't you just pick the wrong ship, eh?" Eret said, introducing himself like nothing was wrong. "I'm Eret, son of—"

He never got to finish his statement, because Stoick shoved him to the side. He was pulled back by Gobber, who banged his club prosthetic on his head. Eret fell, face first to the deck, but when he tried getting up, Grump just rested his head on him.

"Get this thing off me," Eret choked out.

"Anyone else?" Gobber asked, and the other pirates looked at one another reluctantly. They didn't seem all too eager to rush over and rescue Eret. "Hm, that's what I figured."

"You two, saddle, now. We're going home," Stoick said after pointing at the two of us.

"No," Hiccup replied firmly.

"Of all the irresponsible—"

"Look, I'm trying to protect our dragons and stop a war!" Hiccup snapped. "How is that irresponsible?"

"Because war is what he wants, son!" Stoick yelled back.

Stoick sighed when he saw that neither of us were going to give up. After what Snowfire had done for me, I would do anything to keep the dragons safe. Even if it meant risking my own life.

"Years ago, before you were born, there was a great gathering of chieftains on Berk to discuss the dragon scourge we all faced. Into our midst came a stranger from a strange land. He was covered in scars and draped in a cloak of dragon scales. He carried no weapon and spoke softly, saying that he, Drago Bludvist, was a man of the people. Devoted to freeing mankind from the tyranny of dragons. He claimed that he and he alone could control the dragons, and that he alone could keep us safe if we chose to bow down and follow him."

The other Dragon Riders other than Astrid laughed. Her expression suddenly turned serious when she realized how much danger they were in.

"Stupid," sighed Ruffnut after wiping away a tear.

"Ah, good one," Tuffnut agreed with her.

"Aye, we laughed too, until he wrapped his cloak around himself and cried, 'Than see how well you do without me!'. The rooftop suddenly burst into flames, and from it armored dragons descended from it, burning it to the ground. I…. I was the only one to escape."

We all fell silent at that. The thought of having armored dragons made me shudder. I couldn't imagine what that must be like for them. And then to be forced into destroying an entire village like that. If Drago was as bad as Stoick claimed, than maybe the jerk needed his ass handed to him a few times.

"Men who kill without reason cannot be reasoned with, Hiccup," Stoick told his son.

"Maybe," Hiccup began while walking over to Toothless.

"Hiccup!" Stoick yelled.

"I'm going to try." Hiccup gave me one pleading look, and I nodded in understanding before climbing into Snowfire's saddle. "This is what I'm good at. And if I can change your mind, than maybe I can change his."

Snowfire had already taken off before Stoick could stop us. The ship had swayed from side to side once she took off, leaving everyone in awkward silence as Toothless followed soon after.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Ah this is fun to write :) I'm already two chapters ahead now XD And in case anyone's wondering, FF is experiencing problems with chapters being uploaded. So I apologize in advance if you are unable to view this :( Also, I'm off to see the new Hobbit movie! But I might sneak off to see Big Hero 6 again XD<strong>

**Roxygirl - Hi, first off, thanks for reviewing! And second off, I'm not entirely sure what to say ^^ I got most of my ideas by reading older FF or watching movies. When I get them I usually write them down in a notebook for the basic plots and characters :) Hope that helped!**

**Nekolover3 - Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying this so far :)**

**69759 - Wow, that is cold Oo Do you live in Alaska or Canada? Or somewhere Northwest? Cause I know it can be very cold in all of those states, and they get hammered with constant snowstorms as well.**

**Sil - I do love Hiccup's stubborness XD Kind of ironic when he said in the first movie that Vikings have stubborness issues :P And yeah, it's about thirty here right now. We've got frost and ice covering everything D:**


	40. Unexpected Revelations

**Chapter Forty**

The late afternoon sun turned the clouds around us an eerie shade of orange. Snowfire flew lazily ahead while Toothless did the same; he and Hiccup were right in front of us. The flight would have been peaceful, had Hiccup not shouted in frustration. Though I couldn't really blame him for that.

My mind was still spinning from what Stoick just said. Drago Bludvist sounded like an asshole, even more so than Alvin the Outcast. I couldn't imagine what Drago wanted with a dragon army, other than to take over the world with it. It was a thought that made me feel like I was going to be sick.

'_Speak your mind, hatchling_,' Snowfire hummed as she flew in close beside Toothless. The Night Fury had looked at his rider worriedly, noticing how frustrated Hiccup was.

"I'd rather not talk about it," he muttered crossly. Snowfire only narrowed her eyes in annoyance, and I bit the bottom of my lip once more.

"Hiccup, and I really can't believe that I'm saying this, but you really should talk about it," I sighed after giving it some thought.

I still hadn't really opened up to anyone about my own father. To be honest I was more afraid of what the others would think of me when I did tell them. I knew what it was like to keep something locked up inside. It still gives me nightmares.

"It's just that, we should be able to change Drago's mind," Hiccup said, giving me an odd look as he sat up in the saddle. "I just wish that dad would see that we _could_ change his mind."

Silence followed. Toothless was looking down while Snowfire flew a little lower than him. I had to admit, Hiccup did have a good point when it came to convincing someone that dragons aren't creatures that should be controlled. But what Stoick said also had me feeling more than just worried.

"If Drago can control the dragons like your dad said, than we need to be careful," I murmured thoughtfully. "I think I'd rather die than let someone take control of our dragons." Hiccup looked at me in surprise before Toothless warbled in concern.

"Don't worry bud, I'm not going to let anything happen to you, I promise," Hiccup reassured him. I laid back down on Snowfire's saddle, thinking over what both Hiccup and his father had said about Drago.

My mind was so conflicted at the moment that I didn't notice both of our dragons looking around warily. Snowfire suddenly let out a growl just as Toothless had.

'_Something is not right_,' she hissed. Finally I sat up to see what they were both growling at.

"Uh, Hiccup," I began uneasily. Something big was under those clouds. I could just make out the shadowy figure.

"Oh, come on dad, really?" Hiccup groaned and sat up straighter. My eyes widened when I saw the larger shape start to emerge from the clouds.

"Um, I don't think that's your father," I murmured.

And sure enough I was right. In front of us stood, or floated a man wearing a mask. He was wearing some kind of armor that added to the eerie feeling running through me. In one hand he held a staff that looked like it was made from the bone of a dragon, and a shield in the other. The strangest thing was that he floated in the clouds. For a moment the figure just watched us until disappearing under the sea of clouds.

"Okay, no sudden moves," Hiccup warned us.

'_Human demon_!' Snowfire suddenly snarled as a dragon close to her size erupted from the clouds.

My heart was racing when I saw that same figure standing on the back of that dragon. The dragon's head looked like an owl's almost, but what really stood out were it's four wings and wide tail fin. I barely noticed that the air around us had suddenly gotten colder.

"Hold on, hold on!" Hiccup said as Toothless glared at the figure.

The dragon was having a some kind of staring contest as Toothless hovered there. I didn't miss the fact that the figure was looking between me and Hiccup. It was hard to guess what the figure was planning. The mask covered their entire face.

For a moment we just hovered there in silence, keeping an eye on each other. But the moment was broken when a pair of talons suddenly wrapped around my arms. I barely had a chance to shout in surprise when I realized that the same thing had happened to Hiccup.

Toothless, without a rider, suddenly careened towards the water, smashing into the ice down below. Panic quickly settled in when Snowfire dove after Toothless in order to help him. The dragons carrying us were flying too fast for us to go back and help.

My arms were covered in goosebumps as the dragons carried us off further into icy wilderness. Ice stacks stretched as far as I could see, and from what I could see there wasn't a single blade of grass growing here.

"Hey, you left my dragon back there! He can't fly on his own, he'll drown!" Hiccup cried as he tried freeing himself in vein.

The mysterious figure didn't bother responding. Instead they only flew further on, oblivious to Hiccup's pleading.

"At least tell us where you're taking us!" I shouted over the roaring wind.

We had already passed by a couple of glaciers when something familiar loomed into view. My eyes widened in disbelief when I saw the same ice structure from before ahead of us. What made this structure different though was that it stood on top of a mountain.

Finally we entered a passage in the mountain that opened up to a large cave. Once we were dropped on the floor I realized that we were surrounded by dragons of all types and sizes. A few of them were growling in annoyance, but a couple had already approached me as I held my hand up.

"We have to get back to our dragons!" Hiccup insisted.

"Easy," I murmured as the nearest dragon brushed it's snout against my hand.

Hiccup had already pulled out _Inferno_ just in case they decided to attack. A few dragons were still advancing towards us, and Hiccup switched the canister on _Inferno_ to place in a new batch of Zippleback gas. Once that was done he spun the Zippleback gas around himself and ignited it, leaving the dragons around us a bit dazed.

Fortunately they'd stopped advancing on us at that point, and Hiccup was able to touch the nearest dragon with his hand as well. One of the dragons suddenly nudged me playfully, and I couldn't help but laugh at the sight.

That was when I realized we weren't alone. In the darkness the figure had been watching us the entire time. His head was tilted to one side out of curiosity. I nudged Hiccup and gestured towards the mysterious figure.

"Who are you?" Hiccup asked as the figure circled around us curiously. "The dragon thief?" And the response was awkward silence. "Drago Bludvist?" Again no response. "Do you even understand what I'm saying?"

The figure suddenly waved his staff around, creating a rattling noise that made the dragons shuffle around uneasily. Then three dragon entered the cave, one carrying Toothless and two others holding down an enraged Snowfire.

"Toothless!" Hiccup shouted happily and rushed over to Toothless' side.

Snowfire snapped at the dragon holding her down before rushing over to my side. I held back a sigh of relief when she hummed in satisfaction.

"I thought for sure they had you," I murmured while pressing my face into her forehead.

'_I would never allow such cowards to take me_!' she snapped angrily.

"It's okay, it's okay. I'm really glad to see you too, bud. I'm just glad you're okay," Hiccup said as Toothless warbled affectionately.

The mysterious figure suddenly swung his staff once more and slammed it onto the ground. Snowfire swung her tail protectively around me as the dragons opened their mouths and breathed fire, lighting up the cave like torches.

'_Hurt them and I will rip your head off_,' Snowfire warned the figure as they lowered their shield and crawled towards us on all four.

The figure didn't seem to hear though, and once he raised the palm of his hands towards Snowfire and Toothless, both dragons were knocked out in an instant. It took me a few seconds to realize that the figure had used Dragon Nip.

Then he seemed to study Hiccup closely to get a better look. By now I'd backed up into another dragon, who licked the back of my hand and made me jump. The figure suddenly backed away as if they'd just seen a ghost.

"H-Hiccup?" the figure said hesitantly.

My eyes widened when I realized that the figure was actually a _she_. She removed her helmet and revealed dark auburn hair, almost matching Hiccup's perfectly. The only different was the gray highlights in her hair. But what really caught my attention were her eyes. They were light green, and her skin was pale as if she'd been living in the cave for years.

The more I watched her, the more I realized she looked just like Hiccup. Albeit she looked to be in her forties, but that could easily be explained.

"C-Could it be?" she gasped, sounding stunned. "After all these years? How is that possible?"

"Can you back up for a moment and explain how you know Hiccup's name?" I asked as I made my way over. The other dragons didn't seem to pay attention as I stood beside Hiccup.

"Yeah…. S-Should I know you?" Hiccup asked warily.

"No, you were just a babe," the woman admitted guiltily. Then she looked at Hiccup apologetically. "But a mother never forgets." Hiccup's eyes widened in disbelief, while I just stood there with my mouth gaping open. Hiccup looked like he was ready to say something, but she stopped him. "Come, and bring your friend," she said.

I shook my head and tried to push the sudden uneasy thoughts away. I sure hoped she had a better explanation once the initial shock passed.

...

Stoick and Gobber were flying side by side through an ice-storm, looking out for signs of Hiccup or Alex. They were flying in the same direction the two young Riders had flown off in.

"Boar-headed, just like his mother," Stoick grumbled as they flew through the blinding hailstorm. "She could never stay put either."

"He's twenty, and a Viking, Stoick," Gobber reminded him. "When I think of what you were like at that age well…. Now that I think about it, nothing's changed." Gobber frowned as he thought of that.

"You know what he's like," Stoick reminded them. "Not to mention Alex is just as stubborn, if not worse. If they find Drago before we find them…." Stoick paused at the thought, but Gobber didn't seem to get how worried Stoick really was.

"Ah nothing can hurt them as long as Hiccup's got his Night Fury and Alex has her ability to bond with dragons," Gobber tried reassuring him.

Then Stoick noticed something in the ocean that caught his attention. Skullcrusher flew down towards the object and he reached out with his hand to grab it. He frowned in confusion when Gobber flew down to join him.

"Find them Skullcrusher," Stoick ordered as he put the helmet in front of Skullcrusher's nose.

Skullcrusher gave the helmet a sniff and let out a roar, then changed his direction towards north.

...

Hiccup and I were still following his mother back in the Ice Cave through a tunnel. The tunnel was big enough for Toothless and Snowfire to squeeze through one by one. Snowfire had to keep her wings folded though as she wound her way through them.

"Hold on, just wait a minute!" Hiccup yelled as he struggled to climb over a rock.

"This way!" his mother said, ignoring him just like Stoick had.

"Come back here!" Hiccup shouted.

"Come."

"God this is getting ridiculous," I muttered crossly.

"You can't just say something like that and than run off!" Hiccup said while climbing over yet another rock. "You're my mother? I mean, what the… do-do you even grasp how insane that sounds?"

"Come quick," said his mother as she turned back to look at us.

"I have questions!" Hiccup shouted as he struggled to climb over the rocks. "Where have you been all this time?" he asked as I helped him up. "What have you been doing?" Toothless and Snowfire managed to climb over the rocks with ease and followed us to the mouth of the cave. "But they said you were dead! Everyone thinks you've been eaten by—"

He stopped the moment we reached the tunnel's exit. My eyes widened in utter disbelief, mostly because what I saw took my breath away.

"Dragons," I whispered.

Hundreds of them. Hundreds of different species flew about or were perched on the mountain rocks. The place itself was surrounded by ice, but it looked like a tropical oasis on the inside. Plants grew around the bottom and moss covered some of the rocks. There were even some waterfalls pouring from above.

"Amazing," was all I could say. Hiccup nodded in agreement. I turned and looked to see Hiccup's mother holding on to a dragon that was hanging down from the ceiling.

"This is where you've been for twenty years," Hiccup breathed after finding the right words.

She only nodded, looking more relieved than anything else.

"You've been rescuing them," I murmured thoughtfully. She nodded again, and once again Hiccup was too stunned for words.

"Unbelievable," he whispered.

"Y-You're not upset?" she asked hesitantly.

"What? No, well, it's a bit much to get my head around to be frank," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's not every day you find out that your mother is some kind of crazy, feral, vigilante dragon lady."

Hiccup's mother laughed as she lowered herself to the ground. "At least I'm not boring, right?" she asked.

"Well, I suppose there's that thing," Hiccup said as he began rubbing another dragon's snout.

Snowfire crooned and nudged my shoulder gently. I turned around and wrapped my arm around her, suddenly feeling out of place.

'_The human is strange, but not dangerous_,' Snowfire concluded. Hiccup's mother was watching us both curiously as I leaned against Snowfire.

"And… who might you be?" she asked.

"Uh, Alex," I replied with a sheepish smile. "I'm sort of new to Berk." Hiccup just rolled his eyes as if he'd gotten tired of hearing that line. Which was probably true. Another dragon suddenly swooped down and started nudging me as soon as Snowfire had backed away.

"Interesting." I couldn't help but look away as I rubbed the dragon's snout while it crooned in contentment. "I've never met a human who can bond with other dragons."

"You know about that ability?" Hiccup asked in surprise. Again his mother smiled and nodded.

"I've only read about it, of course," she explained after eying me up and down. "The people were afraid of those born with such abilities." Her expression was difficult to read as she turned back towards her dragon. "They were usually killed before they had a chance to discover their full extent."

I didn't miss the worried look Hiccup had given me. I already knew most of the history based on people like me. According to Bork's journals Vikings were afraid dragons would be attracted to people with such abilities. And because of that the Vikings often killed them in the most heinous way they thought possible

"Well, you'll be glad to know that Berk hasn't done anything like that to me," I announced when things got awkwardly quiet.

His mother had slowly approached Toothless as the Night Fury looked at her curiously.

"C-Can I?" she asked warily. Hiccup just gestured to Toothless as his mother dropped down to her knees and approached him. "Oh he's beautiful!" Toothless immediately seemed to like her as she immediately bonded with him. "Oh, ha! Incredible! He-He might very well be the last of his kind!" Toothless rolled over his back for a belly rub, crooning in contentment as she did just that. "Oh, and look! He's your age, no wonder you two get along so well!" Toothless opened his mouth as she touched his tongue, admiring everything about him. And of course he was loving all the attention. "And retractable teeth! Incredible!"

Then his mother looked at Snowfire, who had wandered over to me again. Snowfire let out an irritable growl before letting her approach her.

"I've only seen pictures of White Terrors," she admitted when Snowfire only let her get so close. "Extremely hostile towards humans, and they only bond with one."

'_And I have already bonded_,' Snowfire hissed warningly, causing the older woman to stop in her tracks. I had to smirk when I saw the look of amazement in her eyes.

"And you can speak," she whispered in awe. "How did you ever manage…." She stopped as Hiccup let out a sigh and shook his head.

"I uh, found Toothless in the woods," he explained nervously. "He was shot down and wounded, Alex helped me heal his tail." Toothless warbled in agreement when he got back on his feet.

"And Snowfire found me," I added while patting her on the shoulder.

All at once a solemn look replaced his mother's happy expression. She walked over to a group of dragons that looked like they had recently been rescued.

"This Snafflefang lost it's leg to one of Drago Bludvist's iron traps," she explained while showing us a blue and brown dragon with a stump for one of it's hind legs.

"Looks like it might be swelling a bit," I stated before reaching into my saddle for an ointment jar. One thing I've learned over time is to always keep them handy for moments like this. Dragons healed a lot faster than humans, but that didn't mean they wouldn't feel as much pain.

Hiccup's mom watched warily as I rubbed the ointment on what was once the dragon's foot. He sighed in relief before nuzzling me thankfully. I simply patted him back gently before joining Snowfire nearby.

"And this Raincutter had a wing sliced by razor netting," his mother went on as she showed us another dragon. My eyes widened in horror when I saw a sleek dragon with torn wings. It bowed it's head and revealed some bandages she had already applied to it's wounds.

"And this…." She paused as a color changing dragon, almost like a chameleon changing with it's environment, approached her. I hadn't noticed until now that it's eyes were cloudy white. "Poor Hobblegrunt was blinded by a tree snare." She patiently held her hand out and waited as the Hobblegrunt gingerly lowered it's head, using it's now sensitive smell. "And then left alone to die," she murmured sympathetically.

"I wish there was a treatment for blindness," I whispered, and Snowfire hummed in agreement.

'_Not all humans are cruel_,' she said thoughtfully. '_But the ones that are deserve to have their throats torn out and fed to the Scauldrons_.' The dragon had suddenly changed it's color, and crooned in satisfaction. I could only assume that meant it was okay.

Deep down I felt unbelievable anger towards the men that tried trapping these dragons. I had made a promise to help dragons when I could. But seeing the dragons here made me realize just how little that promise meant.

"And what of this? Did Drago or one of his trappers do this to him?" she asked, holding up Toothless' tail fin.

Uh-oh. Hiccup and I exchanged uneasy looks as his mother stroked Toothless' back affectionately. The look Hiccup gave me was priceless. I only shook my head and gestured for him to tell the truth. If she really was his mother than she would understand.

"Well," Hiccup sighed after giving in, "the crazy thing is; _I'm_ the one who actually shot him down." Hiccup's mom looked at him in disbelief as she stood up and narrowed her eyes.

"Hey, it's… it's okay though! You got me back, right bud? You couldn't save all of me, could you? You just had to make it even!" I had to laugh when Hiccup cradled Toothless in his hands, shaking him around playfully. To finish his explanation, Hiccup held up his prosthetic leg. "So, peg-leg!" he said in a sing-song voice.

Snowfire chose that moment to trot over to my side and topple me over, then she rested her chin on my stomach as I laughed. Toothless had bounced Hiccup on his back as he rubbed the Night Fury playfully, while his mother watched us both with wide eyes.

"Ehm, so what does your father think of your Night Fury friend?" she asked Hiccup first.

"Ah, he didn't take it all that well," Hiccup admitted.

"And you?" She looked back at me.

"Well, at the time he didn't really know me very well so…." I trailed off as Snowfire let me up and pried me onto her saddle. She hummed in satisfaction as I rubbed her neck thankfully. "Let's just say he wasn't too thrilled with the idea."

"But then, he changed," Hiccup added. "They all did. Pretty soon everyone back at home had dragons of their own."

"We managed to change all of their minds," I said with a smile.

'_And if they didn't, I would have bitten their heads off_,' Snowfire retorted. I just rolled my eyes and ignored that comment. She didn't look entirely convinced though.

"If only it were possible," she murmured.

"No, really…." His mother cut him off as she turned away.

"Believe me, I tried as well. But people are not capable of change, Hiccup," she explained as she looked at her dragon. I'd already realized by now that her dragon was a Stormcutter, a rare and unusual dragon for having four wings. "Some of us… were born different."

Her Stormcutter flew off, and she began to tell us what life was like before she left Berk twenty years ago. I listened intently, wanting to get every detail possible. Considering the fact that I've only been on Berk for five years, I wanted to know more about the island's history.

"Berk was a land of kill or be killed. But I believed, peace was a possibility. It was a very unpopular opinion…." I could imagine why, especially if the dragons were still raiding at the time.

I tried to visualize what life on Berk was like. Hiccup must have gotten his natural talent with dragons from his mother. I could see why the dragons liked her so much. Now I could see houses burning down as dragons attacked the village. Of course it would happen to be late at night, when the Vikings were least prepared.

"Then, one night, a dragon broke into our house, finding your cradle…."

By now I could see how terrified his mother must have felt about that. No parent wanted to find a dragon in their house, especially with a newborn.

"But what I saw… was proof of everything I believed…. This wasn't a vicious beast, but an intelligent and gentle creature… whose soul reflected my own." His mother had paused as I tried to picture the dragon that had broken into her house. A baby in a cradle with the roof on fire, and the said dragon watching the protective mother with interest.

"The soul of a dragon," I whispered. Hiccup looked at me in surprise but nodded nonetheless. I pictured that same dragon suddenly taking off into the air, snatching his mother in the process as his father threatened them.

"You and your father nearly died that night, all because I _couldn't_ kill a dragon," she finished her tale, looking away in grief and anger. But then she looked at Hiccup as she tried to read her son, who was still trying to take it all in.

"Well, it runs in the family," he said thoughtfully.

"You've got that right," I added and nudged him playfully. Hiccup grinned back, all the while his mother watched us carefully.

"It broke my heart, to stay away. But I believed you would be safer if I did," she told us.

The guilt in her voice was obvious. I bit the bottom of my lip as I thought of all the terrible things Hiccup was put through during her time away. He'd told me stories of how Snotlout would beat him up when no one was watching. Or when Astrid pushed him around because he simply got in her way.

"How did you survive?" Hiccup asked after an awkward silence followed.

I already had a feeling that the Stormcutter had something to do with her survival. And sure enough the Stormcutter returned to his mother's side as she turned to look at him affectionately.

"Oh, Cloudjumper never meant to harm me. He… must have thought that I belonged here…." She paused and gestured towards the ledge that overlooked a pillar of ice.

Cloudjumper looked at us both curiously while I followed Hiccup's mom's gaze. That was when we saw it.

"In the home of the great Bewilderbeast."

I looked down to see a majestic looking white dragon with spikes that were lighter brown; it was a lot bigger than the Red Death. Hiccup, Toothless and even Snowfire stood there in awe as we watched it. Even the dragons flying around it bowed down in respect.

"The Alpha species," Hiccup's mother explained. "Every nest has their Queen, but this… _this_ is the King of all dragons! With his icy breath, this graceful giant built our nest. A safe haven for dragons everywhere."

I noticed all too well that the icy fortress we'd seen earlier was actually created by _this_ dragon. Even now as I looked down I felt some sense of smallness. I didn't exactly know how to describe it. But I did know that the dragon was powerful.

"Guess you're not the only ice breathing dragon out there, Snow," I said over my shoulder.

'_Did you truly believe I was_?' Snowfire eyed me curiously as I blushed a little.

I then spotted a bunch of colorful baby Scuttleclaws surrounding Toothless and Snowfire. Scuttleclaws looked like a cross between a Deadly Nadder and a Hideous Zippleback, only a bit smaller than them. The only reason they left was because Snowfire had let out a fierce roar that made even Cloudjumper stop in his tracks.

"All but the babies, of course, who… listen to no one," Hiccup's mom laughed as one of the Scuttleclaws landed on the Alpha dragon. Their flying had woken up the king as they flew away and chased each other.

Hiccup and I stood still as statues when the Bewilderbeast started lifting his massive head. His mother, Cloudjumper, Toothless and even Snowfire bowed to the large creature. And even I felt the need to bow as the Bewilderbeast finally looked at the two of us.

Up close the Bewilderbeast was even more intimidating than I thought possible. But it was also beautiful looking. It had icy blue eyes similar to Snowfire's, and large tusks pointed in our direction. Mind you the creature was huge, probably the size of a large mountain.

"I've lived among them for twenty years," Hiccup's mother went on, "learning their ways, discovering their secrets." The Bewilderbeast chose that moment to breathe a snowy powder at the both of us. Both Hiccup and I had to shut our eyes to keep them from getting frozen. I had to laugh when I shook the snow off my hair. "Ha ha, he likes you two."

"Wow," the two of us said almost at the same time.

"I've never seen anything like him," I admitted as the Bewilderbeast looked down at me. For the first time I realized how small an insignificant I really was. Compared to creatures like this Bewilderbeast at least.

I hadn't even noticed that Hiccup's mom was watching us both now with interest.

"So, are you two a couple?" Wow. Way to break the ice.

"Uh, yeah," Hiccup answered for me. His mother eyed me in surprise before smiling. We'd been dating for almost three years now. Staying on Berk was probably the best decision I'd ever made.

"A fondness for dragons, and the ability to bond with them," she began thoughtfully after studying me. "Well, you'll make a fine future daughter in law."

That made my cheeks burn a brighter shade of red than I'd thought possible. Snowfire made a chortling noise of laughter when she caught my reaction, and of course even Hiccup was smirking in amusement.

"Yeah, Alex is probably the bravest, kindest person I've ever met," Hiccup said in agreement. This time it was his turn to blush as I nudged him playfully again.

"And please, call me Valka," Hiccup's mother insisted when I looked back at her. All I could do was nod as she turned back to Cloudjumper. "Well, you two must be hungry," she added with a smile. But the more I thought about it the more I realized that she was right. I was hungry.

"Uh, yeah, we both could eat," Hiccup replied after exchanging a glance with me.

"Good. It's feeding time."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So here's another chapter for all you lovely readers :) Also just got the X-men Days of the Future Past soundtrack, and love it! And got the Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies soundtrack. Don't know why but I love soundtrack music XD Anywho, onto review replies!<strong>

**nekolover3 - Hope it was as good as you were expecting :) Valka is definitely my favorite, though admittedly Gobber is a close second XD**

**silverwolvesarecool - I wouldn't necessarily call that lucky :P Shoveling snow is not fun when you're out in that kind of weather, believe me.**

**69759 - Oh wow, so it probably does get really cold there... I'd rather live in sunny Florida, next to the beaches and awesome attractions they have XD I'm definitely a beach person all the way!**

**Roxygirl - No problem, I'm glad I could help :) And thanks, I am too ^^**

**Petalclaw's PatriceBethPorter - Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying this so far!**


	41. Reconnecting With Valka

**Chapter Forty One**

It was late in the afternoon and the rest of the Dragon Riders were waiting for Stoick to return. They sat there impatiently eating chicken legs, but Astrid was still feeling uneasy about the whole thing. This whole Drago Bludvist and dragon war had her worried. More than she would ever admit.

To make matters worse Hiccup and Alex were out there searching for him. She knew how stubborn the two of them were. Put them together in a room and it only made things worse. Especially when it came to defending their dragons.

"I don't like it," she started as she climbed down the iceberg. "They should have been back by now with Hiccup and Alex."

"I don't like it either," Ruffnut admitted. "Eret son of Eret was the man of my dreams, my everything!"

"But baby, I grew facial hair for you," Snotlout said, revealing fine brown hair on his face.

"Me too," Fishlegs added as he did the same.

"What if Drago shot them down? What if they need our help?" Astrid continued wondering out loud. "We have to find them."

"Wait, wait, what?" Fishlegs asked in surprise. "But Stoick said—"

"It doesn't matter what he said if they've all been captured," Astrid snapped. Then she turned to face them, a look of determination showing in her eyes. "We're going after them, Stoick's words or not."

She jumped onto Stormfly's saddle and took off, with the other Dragon Riders following shortly after. Once they had taken off the first thing they did was search for Eret. Find him and he could lead them to Drago's army.

And soon enough as they flew further north they caught sight of sea ice stacked together. It was so cold that the ocean itself was freezing over. And of course the ship that Eret was working on was stuck between the ice as they tried breaking free.

"Do we go back?" one of the trappers asked. Eret, who was holding an ice block to his forehead, sighed in frustration.

"We've nowhere to go, nothing to sell and no heads to call our own! If we don't turn up with dragons fast—" Eret was stopped from his ranting when he was suddenly snatched off the ground by a dragon's talons.

"Careful what you wish for!" Astrid shouted gleefully. Eret groaned in annoyance as she flew further up to join her fellow Riders. He struggled to free himself while demanding to know what the heck was going on.

"What is this?" he demanded while holding onto the Nadder's talons for dear life.

"A kidnapping," Astrid replied.

"Yay! Can he ride with me? Can he, can he?" Ruffnut asked as she lowered Belch's head.

Eret just groaned in disgust as he clutched on to Stormfly's talons even harder. He wasn't sure what was worse; having some random Viking girl kidnap him or another trying to flirt with him. He thought he'd rather deal with Drago Bludvist's rage than deal with this.

"You're going to show us the way to Drago," Astrid told him.

"And help Dragon Riders sneak into Drago's camp?" Eret asked as if she was crazy. And to him she was just that, a crazy pain in the butt who needed to be shown who was boss around here. "Just kill me now!"

"That can be arranged," Astrid crowed. Eret looked at her in confusion until she told Stormfly to drop it. Stormfly did just that and sent him plummeting towards the icy sea below. "Good girl," Astrid said, patting Stormfly on the neck. Stormfly squawked in satisfaction. "Stormfly, fetch!"

Stormfly then flew closer to Eret, who was now screaming when he realized the predicament he was in. Fortunately Stormfly caught him by the scruff of his shirt with her talons and hoisted him higher in the air.

"Okay! Okay, I'll take you to Drago!" Eret cried as he held on to her talons for dear life. Stormfly then flew towards the other Dragon Riders, and Eret let out a sigh of relief. Astrid cracked her knuckles in satisfaction once she got her answer.

"Ha! Works every time," she laughed.

...

We were out flying on our dragons, and I suddenly realized that when Valka asked if we were hungry, she meant feeding the dragons. All of the dragons from the sanctuary were flying with us. A few circled the caves nearby as they looked down at the ocean expectantly.

'_It is good to be outside again_,' Snowfire hummed in relief as warm sunlight bathed our backs. Valka only laughed at her statement as if it was the funniest thing she'd heard. Admittedly it was good to be out of those caves. I just rubbed Snowfire's neck as Hiccup looked at his mother in confusion.

"Hey, I-I thought we were going to eat?" Hiccup called to his mother. I looked at Valka in disbelief when I realized she didn't even have a saddle on Cloudjumper. Instead she held on with such ease that she made flying look easy.

"Oh, we are!" she called as she swooped in to join us. She gestured towards the water down below, and I peered over Snowfire's wings. There were Tidal Class dragons swimming down below, known as Sea Shockers, in circles chasing fish. They were hunting them like a pod of dolphins.

Then, all of a sudden, the huge head of the Bewilderbeast exploded out of the water, breaching the surface and scooping up hundreds of fish in the process. My eyes widened in utter shock as fish flew all around us. The dragons roared in delight and soared after the fish raining down on us.

"It's raining fish!" I couldn't help but laugh along with Valka as a fish flopped off my face and flew down to Snowfire's open mouth. She caught it with ease and hummed in satisfaction. "I never thought I'd live to see this." Hiccup's mouth was literally hanging open in amazement as he nodded in agreement.

'_Shall we_?' Snowfire looked at me pleadingly, and I gave a nod as soon as Toothless started charging after the fish. In seconds he had a mouthful of fish. I laughed once again at the expression he gave us when he let out a muffled warble.

Snowfire flew after the fish and soon had a mouthful as well before swallowing them. Once they caught enough fish we landed on an icy snow stack nearby. Hiccup immediately took out the map we'd been working on and showed his mother all of the places we'd discovered.

"And then, from Dragon Island, we found this archipelago…." he managed to say before I nudged him to watch his mom. Valka was using her staff to draw a much larger map on the snow. When she finished she nodded in satisfaction.

"There," she said, pointing to her drawling that matched Hiccup's map.

"Wow," Hiccup breathed in amazement.

"That really is amazing," I added after eying all of the different islands we had yet to discover. "It's amazing how much the world opens up when you're on the back of a dragon." Even more amazing to think I was once afraid with the idea of being on the back of a dragon.

Valka laughed when Toothless drew a map of his own with an icicle dangling from his tongue. Cloudjumper turned his head the entire way like an owl would to watch his antics. And in the end the icicle had gotten stuck to Toothless' tongue as he tried getting it off, making us all laugh at the sight.

"Oh Toothless," I sighed as Hiccup very carefully pulled the icicle out. Snowfire had helped by melting the icicle enough for him to pry it out. Toothless warbled his thanks before giving us his puppy-dog expression.

For the rest of the afternoon Valka had showed us all of the dragons at the Dragon Sanctuary. It was amazing seeing all of the different species. What amazed me even more was how friendly and welcoming they were. A few had even regurgitated their fish as an offering of acceptance. What surprised me even more was that Valka had taken their acceptance gratefully, and _ate_ it.

"There's a good boy," I murmured after rubbing an ointment on Gruff, the blind Hobblegrunt from earlier. He sighed in relief at the soothing ointment as I set it down, changing colors as he nudged me playfully. "Yeah, I'd be upset too if I was caught in something like that."

"You have quite a talent there," Valka mused as she watched the entire thing. Gruff lifted his head and turned towards the sound of her voice as she approached us. I had to laugh as a Scuttleclaw flew towards us and landed right into my arm. "And a knack for attracting dragons," she added with a chuckle.

"I can't believe I was actually afraid of them at one point," I said while scratching the Scuttleclaw's chin. It crooned happily before taking off to join it's friends. Valka looked at me in surprise before I explained my fear of flying. "I wasn't exactly born to this world, but I wouldn't change it for anything," I added once I was finished explaining.

"Aye, it is understandable that you would feel such fear." This time it was my turn to look at Valka in surprise. But nonetheless it was good to have someone to talk to about this. Hiccup really was just like his mother.

The best part of that day happened late in the afternoon, just when the sun was beginning to set. Valka had taken us to the high cliffs where I could already feel high thermal drafts rising from down below. Dragons were falling off the ledge to allow the warm drafts to lift them in the air.

Hiccup and I were having the time of our lives just hovering there with Toothless and Snowfire. Toothless had his mouth hanging open with that same goofy toothless grin as he looked at me and warbled. Even Snowfire was enjoying the rush of wind against her wings.

'_This is truly what it means to be free_!' Snowfire hummed with happiness, and I nodded in agreement. Valka had started walking from one dragon to the other, jumping lightly from one wing to the other before she reached Toothless. I watched in amazement, realizing that she was doing exactly what I'd been learning. When she reached Toothless Valka ruffled Hiccup's hair with a grin before crossing over to Snowfire.

"What, no witty comeback?" I asked when Snowfire watched Valka warily. She wasn't the most trusting dragons when it came to humans. But seeing her now with Valka, I realized just how relaxed she was.

When I saw Valka I could see just how sweet and motherly she was towards Hiccup. It made me realize just how lucky he was. To have a mother like her who knew everything there was about dragons, and to know that she was still alive… there was something almost touching about it.

"Oh, when I'm up here I don't even feel the cold," Valka began when she reached Cloudjumper again. "I just feel…."

"Free," Hiccup and I both said, then we looked at each other and grinned. Valka smiled and took a deep breath of the cold, icy air.

"This is what it means to be a dragon, Hiccup and Alex," she sighed happily. Snowfire hummed in agreement just as Toothless had warbled as well. Hiccup suddenly sat up straighter in his saddle, and I already knew where this was going.

"It's all good and well to call yourself a dragon, but can you fly?" he asked loudly before jumping off of Toothless. Valka gasped in surprise and leaned over Cloudjumper, only to watch as Hiccup opened up his flight suit so that he was soaring over the drafts.

I needed to design one of those myself. They actually looked pretty cool now that I thought about it. Valka laughed when she realized that her son was actually _flying_. Well, technically it wasn't flying. I wasn't exactly sure what to call it. But it was amazing nonetheless.

Hiccup flipped over and grinned when Cloudjumper and Snowfire caught up with him, Toothless lagging behind a bit. The grin on his face was priceless. Snowfire let out a small puff of snow that covered his face, and by now Valka and I were both laughing at the sight.

He flipped back over and flew on, until suddenly rocks came into view. That was when Hiccup began to panic, and Cloudjumper growled at Toothless to catch his attention. Toothless' eyes widened when he realized the danger his Rider was in, and he flew faster to catch up.

I jumped off of Snowfire's saddle and onto the back of a Raincutter that flew right past before reaching the rock. Toothless had finally reached his Rider and barely managed to rescue Hiccup in time as they rolled into the snow. Once we were close enough I thanked the Snafflefang that caught me and jumped into the snow.

"Enjoying the snow are we?" I asked when Hiccup whooped in triumph and fell back in the snow with a flop. I had to laugh when Toothless tripped him with his tail, then I promptly threw a snowball at him when he sat up again.

"Man, almost that time!" Hiccup laughed as I helped him up. "We just about it had it that time." He glanced at an annoyed Toothless and grinned sheepishly. Snowfire landed right next to me, growling as she nudged my elbow.

'_A little warning next time_,' she muttered crossly. Valka didn't look nearly as annoyed though as she flew down to join us. Instead she had a look of pride and amazement on her face as Cloudjumper ran over to greet us.

"Oh, incredible!" she marveled at Hiccup's flight suit, trying to take it all in at once. Hiccup just blushed when he realized how impressed she was with his invention.

"Well, not bad yourself." He smiled when she cupped her hand over his cheek. I looked on as Hiccup tenderly leaned into his mother's touch. It was something that he'd probably wanted to experience his entire life, and finally had a chance to.

"All this time you took after me…." Valka trailed off, and a combination of guilt and sadness shadowed her face. "And… where was I?" she asked herself in a bitter tone. I could understand where she was getting at. She was feeling guilty for leaving her son for twenty years. If I could I would make sure that I could see my own mother again. I always wondered if she felt the same way about me when I thought of her. "I'm so sorry, Hiccup…. Can we, start over? Will-Will you give me another chance?" she suddenly asked.

The look Hiccup gave her told her everything she needed to hear. I smiled and leaned against Snowfire as I watched the two.

"I-I can teach you and Alex all I've learned over the past twenty years," she went on as she walked over to Toothless. What she did next took us both by surprise. She gently massaged on one spot on his neck, and suddenly the black spines split. "Now you can make those tight turns."

Toothless crooned happily with his tongue sticking out while trying out his new spines.

"Did you know about this?" Hiccup asked. Toothless just looked at his rider proudly while trying out and kept closing and opening his spines.

'_Perhaps we could learn from each other_,' Snowfire suggested as she leaned down to look at all of us. Valka looked at her curiously before nodding in agreement.

"I'm afraid I don't know too much about White Terrors," she sighed as Snowfire nudged her gently.

"It's okay," I reassured her with a smile. "We're still learning from each other." Snowfire hummed in agreement and stood up.

"Your bond with her is strong, almost as if she sees you as her hatchling," Valka suddenly stated. That was enough to make both Hiccup and I laugh, and Valka gave us a look of confusion.

"That's what she calls us all the time," I explained when I caught my breath. Snowfire only rolled her eyes and flicked her tail across my shoulder.

'_Only because you are just hatchlings_,' she scolded. Valka folded her arms and smirked at the two of us as Snowfire hummed with laughter. '_Perhaps one day when you stop looking for danger, than I will not call you hatchlings_.'

"Yeah, like that's going to happen," Hiccup said with a roll of his eyes. I stuck my tongue out at him before he threw a snowball at me. By now all three of us were having the time of our lives, laughing while Toothless showed off his new spines in front of Snowfire and Cloudjumper.

"Every dragon has their own secrets. And I'll share them with you two," Valka told us and looked at Hiccup fondly. "We'll unlock every mystery, find every last species, as mother and son." I watched as Toothless burrowed in the snow and then suddenly burst out in front of Cloudjumper, who promptly threw the snow on his head on Toothless.

But Valka's statement left me feeling a little worried. What if Hiccup decided to stay here, with her? I mean, I could understand why he would want to. After all, he shared more in common with his mother than he did with Stoick. But still…. I couldn't shake off the feeling that Berk would need Hiccup now more than ever. Snowfire had rested her chin on my shoulder as Valka continued talking to her son as if we didn't exist.

"This gift we share, it bonds us. This is who you are, son. Who _we_ are," she went on in an almost longing voice.

'_What she says is true_,' Snowfire suddenly said. '_The bond between dragon and rider is inseparable_.' I looked at Snowfire in surprise before nodding. She was right. Dragons were loyal til the bitter end. I'd learned that during my first year on Berk.

"We will change the world for all dragons. Make it a better, safer place!" Valka continued, which of course delighted Hiccup to no end. Seeing his face now made me feel even more out of place than I realized. Somehow being here now made me feel as though I didn't really belong here.

"Yeah, that sounds… _amazing_," Hiccup replied in an awed voice. And when she hugged him, well, let's just say I've never seen him look so happy before. After all Valka _was_ his mother, someone he hadn't seen for twenty years.

For a moment my heart actually melted at the touching scene. I did feel bad for intruding on them. But than again Valka had invited me to join them. I just hoped there was a way we could convince her to go back to Berk. If that could happen, than maybe Hiccup could finally have his entire family back together. I could already imagine how the entire village would react to Valka's return.

"Ah, this is so great! Now you, Alex and I can talk to Drago together!" Hiccup said to his mom. She looked surprised that he would make such a suggestion.

"What? There's no talking to Drago," she replied, petting Cloudjumper.

"Wait, you know him?" I asked in surprise. Though I really shouldn't be, considering Valka was the one rescuing all the dragons from his traps.

"Aye, he is a madman who cannot be reasoned with," she replied. "Believe me, I've tried."

"But we have—" Valka cut him off with a wave of her hand, suddenly acting more like stern old Stoick now.

"No; we _must_ protect our own," she told him. That sounded just like something Stoick would say. I couldn't help but smirk a little. Even if Valka wasn't going to talk, she did sound a lot like Stoick. Now I was starting to see the similarities. "We should be getting back." Hiccup and I exchanged looks before setting off to the sanctuary.

'_Perhaps the humans are right to say no_,' Snowfire hummed as we got back.

"But there has to be something we can do or say," Hiccup muttered as he leaned against a rock. I hadn't realized until now how exhausted I was getting when I sat next to him.

"What if they're right though? What if Drago can't be reasoned with?" I asked warily while playing with his hair. Hiccup barely took notice as he continued trying to figure out what to do next. Even his mom wouldn't help us. I had a feeling that they knew exactly why that was.

"I refuse to believe that until I see it," he sighed after a few moments of silence followed.

"Well, if we do run across him than it might be a good idea not to show our dragons right away," I murmured before realizing that I was slowly dozing off. The last thing I felt was Hiccup kissing me on the forehead before falling asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Ah the feels in this chapter :) Definitely one of my favorites so far now XD Then again I've been enjoying them all. Hope everyone enjoyed it too :D<strong>

**69759 - Wow, that is cold! Oo And lol, I think they're about to soil themselves in the next couple of chapters when they find out about Valka :P**

**Lala - Better late than never I always say ;) But thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying this so far! Haven't really had a chance for fluffy moments, but I think once I'm finished with the movie that might happen :) Thanks again for reviewing!**

**Petalclaw's PatriceBethPorter - Thank you, I tend to update every day when I can.**

**Guest - I know XD Although 'Popping Up Like Daisies' takes the cake for me. Love movie references XD**

**Nekolover3 - Glad to hear it :)**

**silverwolvesarecool - I love her too. Surprisingly though Gobber is actually my second favorite characters, next to the twins :) Don't know why but there's something about him that I love XD**

**Roxygirl - XD Thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying it that much :P As for older stories, I'd say you're welcome to look at my profile and see what I have as my favorites. Or just look at the HTTYD archive and see what's being updated right now. I have a ton of ideas just from that, but of course by adding my own twists on them :)**


	42. Drago Bludvist

**Chapter Forty Two**

Not far from Valka's Dragon Sanctuary, Astrid and the other Dragon Riders had reached Drago's camp. Eret had given Astrid the directions on how to get into the ice caves. He looked a little relieved once they had reached them, but his relief was short lived. Stormfly sat on top of him like a protective mother would scolding their hatchling. She squawked and buried snow around him like she was building a nest.

"Okay! I got you here, now get this thing off of me!" Eret shouted as Stormfly wriggled her bottom on him. Astrid only smirked at the sight as she hopped off of Stormfly.

"Never take a toy from a dragon; don't you know anything?" she asked before joining the other Dragon Riders. Stormfly just squawked once more as she scoffed and walked away.

"Why does this keep happening to me?" Eret demanded in a muffled voice.

Astrid peered over the ledge and noticed massive ships surrounding the icy cove. What caught her attention though were the armored dragons. Her fists clenched when she realized that Eret was telling the truth. Flags were flying against the wind that had a symbol similar to the burn mark Astrid had seen on Eret's chest.

She tried shaking off the uneasy feeling before looking down at the water below them.

Large bubbles were bursting out of the chains that held onto something. Astrid could only imagine what that something was. The unseen creature rocked the ships the chains were attached to. Astrid's eyes widened when she realized just how big that something probably was.

"What's down there?" she wondered out loud.

Fishlegs pulled out of his pocket his dragon cards and started looking through them, hoping to find something. But none of the cards had any information on what might be lurking below.

"Large diameter of bubbles, massive lungs, cold water deep dweller. I'm thinking maybe class five leviathan, maybe six," he said, reading off of the cards.

Then Stormfly suddenly pricked up and seemed to sense that danger was near. She suddenly flew off, leaving Eret free to draw his swords. The Dragon Riders turned around in time to see Drago's men emerge from animal skins, popping from the snow like daisies.

Before their dragons could react, Drago's men fired tranquilizers at them. Astrid's eyes widened in alarm when she realized too late that all the dragons were knocked out. Stormfly was the only dragon who managed to escape in time.

"Meatlug!" Fishlegs yelled.

"Hookfang!" Snotlout called and ran down the ridge.

However they were soon surrounded by Drago's men, and of course Astrid was the only one sensible enough to bring a weapon. She cursed under her breath for that mistake.

"Don't move!" one of Drago's men shouted.

Fishlegs stopped where he was going and dropped his cards, raising his hands in the air. Astrid held back a sigh as she realized they were badly outnumbered. Even if she could fight back they still had more weapons, and the Riders didn't have their dragons.

Moments later and they were dragged to Drago's ship, clasped in chains and held captive. What bothered Astrid more was that they had chained their dragons as well. And she struggled to free herself so that she could stop them.

Astrid's eyes widened in shock when she saw Drago himself.

"Drago!" Eret cried as he was shoved by one of Drago's men.

Drago looked exactly the way Stoick had described him. By appearance he could be Slavic, but she wasn't entirely sure. Just judging from his clothing and the fact that he was shorter than Stoick, she could assume his origins. He had ash-black hair and dark brown eyes that scared even her a little. What really caught her attention though were his scars. She could already guess where they had come from. And to make Stoick's description accurate, he did had a cloak that was made out of dragon scales. Astrid narrowed her eyes when she noticed that his left arm was covered completely.

All in all she was actually impressed and a bit terrified of his appearance. Now she could see why Stoick had been so afraid.

"Get off me!" Eret shouted, shoving one of Drago's men away. He laughed nervously before speaking again, in the hopes of gaining Drago's trust, "Always great to see you my friend, keeping warm up here?"

Drago only scowled and walked towards them, refusing to answer. As he did, the armored dragons pulling the carts bowed their heads. Astrid had already seen that it was out of fear, not respect. One of his men removed Eret's swords from their sheathe.

"Well, as you can see I'm right on time with a new batch of dragons," improvised Eret. Though it was easy to see that he was getting nervous. Astrid was left wondering how this man was working for someone like Drago. It was obvious that Eret was actually _afraid_ of him. "Just… as I promised," he dragged on hopefully.

Drago just ignored him as Hookfang woke up. Hookfang tried pulling at the ropes the men were holding.

"Give me some backup here!" one of the men shouted while dragging his feet against the rope.

"Drop the ropes!" Drago ordered. The men did as they were told, looking at Drago nervously as they backed away from Hookfang's snapping jaws.

Hookfang glared down at Drago and growled in defiance. He then fired a blast that could have melted stone. But Drago had shielded himself with his dragon cloak before the flames could hit. Astrid watched in amazement, having realized that since the cloak was made of dragon hide, it was pretty much fireproof. Not even a lava-spewing dragon could burn him. Drago just kept walking towards him as Hookfang ran out of fire, tilting his head up in confusion and sudden fear.

Everyone watched in shock as Drago boldly approached the Monstrous Nightmare. Hookfang roared in defiance and tried scaring Drago off, but he stood his ground. Next thing he did was roar back and swing his bull hook for an arm around before slamming it in the ground, right in front of Hookfang's snout.

What Hookfang did next made everyone gape in disbelief. He actually listened and bowed his head submissively. Astrid's eyes widened when she realized what Drago was doing. Through fear he was forcing the dragons to listen and stand down.

"Hookfang!" Snotlout yelled when Drago placed a boot on his snout.

"What are you doing?" Astrid demanded as Hookfang wheezed out smoke and looked at Drago pitifully.

"You belong to me now," Drago sneered, looking down at the dragon with a triumphant smirk.

Astrid bowed her head a little as she realized what Drago had done. Stoick was right about this man. He was evil, and had to be stopped. She only prayed to Odin that Hiccup and the others hadn't been captured. She didn't want Hiccup seeing anything like this.

Drago than noticed that there were saddles on the backs of these dragons. His eyes wandered over to Meatlug's saddle, and Astrid noticed a look of alarm flashing in Drago's eyes.

"And as an added bonus, I've captured their riders," Eret went on, sounding pleased with himself. "No extra charges."

"What? Are you kidding me?" Astrid demanded in disbelief. She struggled against her restraints once again, only to find herself unable to free herself.

"Aww, but you were so perfect!" Ruffnut complained.

"Turns out, there's a whole bunch of Dragon Riders out there," Eret started as Drago walked towards him threateningly. "They—" Drago suddenly grabbed him by the throat, eyes glaring with outrage. He looked as if he was about to snap Eret's throat without a second thought.

"How many?" he demanded.

"Drago doesn't have them after all," whispered Astrid to the other Dragon Riders.

"How many?" Drago repeated himself, slamming Eret's back into a boat.

"Hundreds! A whole island full!" Astrid shouted bluntly.

"I wouldn't worry about it," Eret choked out. Drago's grip tightened around his throat. "My men are hunting them down as we speak. They won't know where you're hiding. I promise you that."

Astrid had already told the other riders her plan, and they nodded in agreement.

"Oh yes they will!" she yelled.

Drago only dropped Eret as he clutched his throat while gasping for breath. Astrid didn't even look scared as she approached the older man, keeping eye contact with him. Eret had already guessed what her plan was and tried to get her to stop, but she didn't.

"They know we're missing and they have tracking dragons," Astrid explained, not showing any sign of fear. "If you so much as touch us, Hiccup is going to—"

"Hiccup?" Drago asked in suspicion.

"He's not a problem. Really. Trust me," Eret wheezed. Astrid didn't seem the least bit put off as she continued.

"He's only the son of Stoick the Vast," she began, and Drago's eyes narrowed dangerously at the mention of Stoick, "His heir to the throne, and the greatest dragon master this world has ever seen! And not to mention we have someone who can bond with any dragon possible."

She threw that one in just for kicks. And sure enough Drago was enraged.

"_Dragon Master_?" Drago scoffed at the term. "_I_ alone control the dragons!"

"Nope," said Tuffnut, sounding bored.

"Not seeing it," Fishlegs added.

"And unless you let us go, he will blast through here on his Night Fury and blow your entire ship to splinters!" Astrid continued her ranting. "Not to mention our other rider will free all of your armored dragons as well."

"Then they'll be crying like babies!" exclaimed Ruffnut. Both Fishlegs and Snotlout laughed at that.

"Funny, and beautiful," Snotlout said.

"Good one, babe!" Fishlegs added. Ruffnut groaned in disgust, and her brother wasn't helping the matter at hand.

"Yeah, like babies," he said. "They always cry. Real tiny ones…." Drago than turned towards Eret and grabbed him by the face, angrily covering his eyes.

"First there was one rider," he began in a voice full of fury, "and now the whole of Berk. And _you_ led them to me!" He tossed Eret to the side like he was just a ragdoll.

"Drago!" Eret begged.

"Stop all preparations!" Drago bellowed. "We must attack the Dragon Rider's nest at once! We will take down their Alpha…. And than we will take Berk!" All of his soldiers cheered at that before they wandered off.

Astrid's eyes widened when she realized that things weren't going as planned. Instead she had just led Berk to their doom. She glanced at the other Riders, suddenly feeling desperate. Eret was still begging Drago to spare him, but the man just shoved him back.

"Get rid of him," he snapped. Drago's men turned on Eret and raised their weapons at him.

"Drago, please!" Eret begged.

A soldier suddenly threw a throwing knife at Eret, making him freeze in shock. They would have killed him on the spot, if Stormfly hadn't flown in to stop it. Eret's eyes widened in disbelief as Stormfly faced the other soldiers, growling in his defense.

One of the soldiers suddenly pulled out a blowpipe and fired a tranquilizer at Stormfly. She let out a squawk of surprise before dropping to the ground in an instant.

"Stormfly!" Astrid cried. She managed to punch one soldier and tried reaching her dragon, but another pulled her back. "No!"

Eret was just stunned that this had all happened. Stormfly could have run anywhere since she was free. But instead she flew in to protect him. Was it possible that what that boy and girl had said was true?

...

I hadn't realized that I fell asleep until finding myself alone next to Snowfire. My eyes widened for a moment until I recognized where I was. I glanced at Snowfire warily before patting her gently on the shoulder. She was still fast asleep, much to my surprise.

My mind wandered back to Drago and everything that had happened so far because of him. Hiccup was reunited with his mother. But in the wake of everything he was still determined to convince Drago that dragons weren't a threat. I just hoped that Hiccup was right about him. Part of me longed to know that Hiccup was doing the right thing. Yet another part of me said that Drago was different from the others. That there was no convincing that madman.

I decided to take the chance and wander around the Dragon Sanctuary. This place was truly an amazing place. With plants of all types growing, I was able to make out the different herbs and name their uses. I wondered for a moment if Valka had planted them here on purpose.

Soon I came upon the spot where Hiccup and I had met the Bewilderbeast. For some reason that felt like years ago now that I thought about it. I stopped in my tracks when I noticed that the Bewilderbeast was looking at me again. With one glance over my shoulder, I cautiously approached the dragon as he raised his head towards the ledge.

'_There are not many who share your gift, youngling_.' I stared at the Bewilderbeast in shock before realizing that he was actually talking to me, in the same way that Snowfire often shared her thoughts or voice.

"But why was I born with this gift?" I asked in a whisper, careful not to alert the others. The Bewilderbeast drew in a deep breath before answering, and I was suddenly aware of the fact that I was talking to the Alpha, the King of the nest.

Without a second thought I leaned down on one knee, careful to avoid insulting him. But the Bewilderbeast only laughed at my reaction, causing the entire nest to shake at the noise. I struggled to keep calm despite the situation.

'_You are not in any danger, human_,' he reassured me. '_At least, not yet_._ But I sense that will all change soon_.'

"Do you know why I'm here?" I couldn't help but ask. Maybe he had an answer for waking up in this world. I already knew without a doubt that I would stay. But knowing why I woke up here in the first place, that would make my life a little easier.

'_Fate works in mysterious ways, youngling_,' replied the Bewilderbeast. His eyes traveled down to me as we locked gazes. '_Perhaps in time you will come to understand why you are here_.'

I held back a sigh of frustration as he lowered his head and returned to his post. It didn't look like I was getting any other answers. The moment I turned around I almost regretted it, because Valka was standing right behind me.

"Even after all of these years, I'm still finding answers about our dragons," she said in awe. She gestured towards the Bewilderbeast after noticing my confusion. "The first and only time I heard him speak, was when I arrived at the nest," she explained.

"I wonder what makes me so special?" I asked as Cloudjumper flopped down from his perch to join us. He crooned softly and nudged my hand as if asking for attention.

"Your connection with the dragons is what makes you special," Valka replied with a smile. "You should consider it a gift, as the King said."

"I suppose that's true," I murmured and glanced over my shoulder. "I just… wish I understood it better." Valka placed a gentle hand on my shoulder, and for a moment I thought she looked almost exactly like Hiccup did when she gave me that smile.

"You will in time, my dear," she reassured me. "You will in time."

I looked at her in surprise before nodding in agreement. Maybe this gift was just another mystery that needed to be unraveled in time. And I was fine with that. For now it was nice to just enjoy my time here with the dragons. And hope that Drago didn't find the Sanctuary.

Because in truth, I would defend the dragons with my life. I wasn't going to let anyone hurt them. Not if I could stop them.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So this chapter may have been a bit of a filler, but it does lead to question about Alex's ability. And more importantly the fact that the Alpha can communicate with her leads to an even more interesting plot ;)<strong>

**Lala - XD That is coincidental ;) And thanks, I never really expected this story to get so popular myself! But surprisingly it is :)**

**Guest - Trust me, you aren't the only one who's been wondering that :P**

**Layla347 - Thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying it!**

**69759 - ^^ Actually I haven't had the chance to, sorry /: And wow, that is a weird dream. Mine are usually about going to theme parks for some odd reasons, or aquariums. I'm not entirely sure why though...**

**Sil - That might be :P Gobber's just so lovable! I had a feeling that Stoick's death is going to hit them both hard... next few chapters are definitely going to be intense for Alex.**

**Nightfire260 - Thanks :)**


	43. For The Dancing And The Dreaming

**Chapter Forty Three**

It was early the next morning when I found Hiccup getting ready to leave again. He still wanted to talk to Drago, and there was no changing his mind once it was made up. In ways he was more stubborn than Stoick. Which could lead to disaster if things didn't work out well in the end. But nonetheless I told myself to stand by his side no matter the choices he made.

Snowfire was busy sleeping next to an alert Toothless as baby Scuttleclaws came flying down. I tried not to laugh at the sight when one landed on Snowfire's saddle. Another had decided to take a bite out of Toothless' tail fin, earning a growl of annoyance from the Night Fury.

"Well bud, we can't wait around for Drago to find this place. We've gotta find him first," Hiccup said as he folded up his flight suits' wings. Toothless just warbled in concern for his rider as Hiccup sighed in frustration.

"You know, maybe it's just me, but don't you think going after Drago is a bit rash?" I asked after helping him adjust his flight suit. Hiccup looked at me in surprise before I continued, "I'm just saying, if Drago is as dangerous as everyone claims, maybe we should think about approaching him carefully."

I suddenly remembered what I had said last night about hiding our dragons. It made more sense to keep them in hiding, especially with someone like Drago. Suddenly one of the Scuttleclaws landed in my arms, making us both grin sheepishly as it cooed.

Hiccup was ready to say something when a pair of meaty hands suddenly covered our mouths. Toothless let out a warning growl as Snowfire was woken up from her nap, glaring irritably at the intruders as I jammed my elbow into someone's stomach.

"Mother of Thor!" a familiar voice choked out. "She's almost as bad as Astrid!" Gobber? What the hell was he doing here? Then my eyes widened when I realized that if Gobber was here, than Stoick most likely was as well.

"Easy," Stoick commanded when Gobber finally let us go.

"Are you kidding me? How did you get here?" Hiccup demanded, sounding both shocked and worried. But in response, Stoick tossed him his helmet.

"I'm guessing thanks to Skullcrusher," I suggested after Hiccup looked at his helmet in surprise. "Please tell me you didn't bring the whole village," I added as Snowfire joined us, a low growl forming in the back of her throat.

Fortunately Stoick didn't take it as a threat, though he still looked annoyed with the two of us. "The same way we're getting the two of you out of here," Stoick said while looking around for signs of danger. By now most of the dragons were already out, and the baby Scuttleclaw had fled before they arrived.

Hiccup and I exchanged anxious looks the moment Stoick tried going to one of the caves. I could only imagine how shocked Stoick would be if he found out about Valka. After all she is his wife, and he believed that she was dead.

'_It is better to tell them now than wait_,' Snowfire grumbled as she followed us.

"I wish it were that easy," I whispered back. Finding out that someone you thought was dead had to be a huge shock for anyone. I had to duck a few times as we half ran half dodged rocks jutting out in our way.

"Dad, there's something you need to know!" Hiccup called after his father as we crept through the narrow caves.

"Yeah, yeah, tell me along the way," Stoick called over his shoulder.

"Uh, this isn't exactly something that can be explained along the way," I replied.

"This isn't an on the way update, actually," Hiccup added.

"I've heard enough, Hiccup and Alex," Stoick told us.

"This is more like the heart-attack related news that older men probably shouldn't be given," I chimed in. The look Hiccup gave me was priceless, and again I just shrugged. "What you're about to see isn't exactly…." I stopped as Stoick raised a hand to keep us both quiet.

I held back a sigh of frustration as we tried to come up with some kind of explanation before Stoick found out the hard way. With the stress he was under right now, it wouldn't surprise me if he did faint at the sight of Valka. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that, but still….

"Yeah, just add it to the pile," Stoick grumbled.

"Dad, unlike most surprises I spring on you-this you'll like. I promise. You just have to handle it carefully," Hiccup reassured him, earning a roll of eyes from me. But he was sounding more frantic than ever, and I understood why.

"He's right Chief, just try to keep an open mind," I added helpfully. Then we bumped into Gobber. When he turned to face us, we didn't need to ask what he'd just seen. He looked like he'd just seen a ghost, and to him he probably did.

"Ah, you might wanna take this one," Gobber said, patting Stoick on the shoulder. He sat down on ice block with his head resting in his hand. "Oh boy…." I glanced over to where Gobber had been seconds ago, realizing just how shocked he really was. Too stunned for words. Then of course Stoick had to grab his sword as if this was a threat.

"Uh, sir, that really isn't a good idea," I started just when Hiccup was ready to stop him. Stoick ignored us both and chose to investigate. A gasp escaped from Stoick when he saw what had shocked Gobber into silence. "Well, this just got interesting," I muttered under my breath.

Gobber and Hiccup came out from behind Stoick, who by now had dropped his sword as I followed them. I looked at the Chief and could see pure shock and confusion in his eyes as he took off his helmet. Valka only stood her ground, standing straight and tall with a somewhat terrified expression on her face.

But I couldn't really blame her for feeling that way. After all everyone on Berk thought that she was dead, taken away by a dragon. And here she was, alive and well,_ living_ among them. If Hiccup and I hadn't made peace with the dragons, things would be very different right now. And seeing Stoick now, he was likely angry that his wife had abandoned him along with his son for the last twenty years.

"I know what you're going to say, Stoick," Valka began as she took on a defensive position. "'How could I have done this? Stayed away for all these years and why haven't I come back to you? To our son?'" Stoick could only stare at her, too dumbstruck to form a proper sentence. "Well, what sign did I have that you could change? That anyone on Berk could? I pleaded, so many times to stop the fighting, to find another answer, but did any of you listen?" By now she had backed into an icicle as Stoick continued slowly approaching her, his eyes still wide.

"This is why I never married," said Gobber to the both of us, "this, and another reason."

Hiccup and I only exchanged looks of confusion at his response. Then I realized that Valka and Hiccup were almost exactly alike, personality wise. She had tried to change things on Berk, but of course, no one listened. The only difference was that Valka had chosen to leave. It suddenly made me wonder what life on Berk would be like had I not stopped Hiccup from leaving that day.

"I know I left you to raise Hiccup alone, but I thought you would be better off without me. And I was wrong, I see that now, but…." Valka had stopped herself when she found no escape. Instead her hand was pressed against the ice as the dragons began to appear in her defense. "Oh, stop being so stoic, Stoick! Go on, shout, scream, say something!"

All at once I could feel my heart racing as I watched them. I couldn't help but feel sorry for Valka; in a matter of days her world was turning upside down again. And all because we had to find her Dragon Sanctuary. I really hoped this didn't go as bad as I was anticipating.

Then Stoick suddenly spoke, but his words came out in a gentle whisper that made us all look at him in surprise.

"_You're as beautiful as the day I lost you_."

Hiccup and I both let out sighs of relief when it was over. Valka had dropped her staff as she and her husband shared a long overdue kiss. All at once the tension in the cave seemed to dissolve. For the first time I realized something important.

Hiccup's family had been reunited.

I'd never seen him look happier than now. A small tear of joy slid down his cheek, and he had the biggest grin on his face that I'd ever seen. And for a moment I felt a small twinge of jealousy rush over me.

When my father disappeared I thought that I could be happy again with just my mom. But our family was forever split because of his disappearance. Mom refused to believe that he was dead; she never saw how dangerous he was.

But as quickly as I felt that jealous I pushed it aside. I should be happy, especially given what Hiccup has been through the past five years. Jealousy was an ugly thing, almost as vial as hate. And it was never a good thing to hold on to.

...

The Dragon Riders and Eret were still on Drago's massive flagships that led the entire army, being pulled by whatever was at the other end of those chains in the water. Astrid felt sick as she could hear Drago banging his bullhook of a hand on the chains.

They on the other hand had their hands bound together with their dragons being held captive elsewhere. Drago's men were escorting them to the stern, where they would be thrown overboard. Astrid scowled at one of them as they pressed their spear against her back.

"Could this day get any worse?" Snotlout asked in a groan.

"Uh, let me see. You'll jump into freezing cold water and than die," Tuffnut said, sounding optimistic. They were suddenly pushed onto the plank by the men escorting them. Eret peered over the plank and into the icy depth fearfully when he saw sea shockers circling the ship.

"Looks refreshing," he said to Astrid. She returned the look he gave her with a glare, sudden hatred for the man burning deep within her. How this man could work for someone like Drago was beyond her. But she wouldn't forgive him anytime soon. "Please, ladies first," he gestured towards the plank.

She looked at Eret and ground her teeth together, "You are a steaming heap of dragon—"

"Duck," Eret suddenly whispered. Astrid did just that as Eret spun around and kicked both of the men holding her out. He caught one of their spears and used it to free himself and caught the other one and twirled them both in invitation.

"Warn the others!" one of Drago's men shouted as he and the others charged at Eret.

"Go get 'em you son of an Eret!" Ruffnut called.

Eret knocked one of the men out while grabbing a blowpipe and spitting a tranquilizer at another. The dart hit him square in the neck, knocking him out in an instant. Eret then whacked him with a spear and knocked him to the side, and Fishlegs suddenly jumped onto another soldier, pinning him to the ground. Eret than tossed the spear and spit another tranquilizer at another soldier that was running to make the alarm, and he dropped, just a few feet away from the Captain's Quarters.

"Okay, I love you again," Ruffnut sighed in relief, making Astrid and everyone else roll their eyes in annoyance. She ran past a crestfallen Snotlout and right over to Eret.

"Ugh, pathetic. You can still jump," Tuffnut said while Snotlout's mouth continued gaping. Eret shook his head and turned towards Astrid, who was still glaring at him suspiciously.

"So, are we going to save your dragons and get out of here or not?" he asked with a smug look.

Astrid just narrowed her eyes as he grabbed his swords, not quite sure what to make of him. First he was working for Drago, and now he wanted to help them? She was doubtful that anything between them had changed. But, nonetheless, she was grateful for the rescue and grabbed her axe while the others took the unconscious soldiers' weapons.

"Check every trap, they're here somewhere," Eret told them as they started heading for the traps.

Astrid slid under a tarp and cranked open a trap by pulling down the lever. When she managed to pry it open she saw Meatlug chained to the floor. The little dragon looked pathetic as she jumped down into the trap.

"Meatlug?" she gasped.

Meanwhile Eret was busy working on another trap, and of course the female twin had to tag along with him. Honestly he'd rather deal with the fierce blond girl over the twin. She had enough of an attitude to match that of a Monstrous Nightmare.

"Anyone coming?" he asked as he started cranking down the lever.

"I don't know," Ruffnut said in a dreamy voice; she was too busy admiring his biceps to notice. "Just keep doing whatever you're doing. Keep crankin'…."

Once the trap was opened, Eret sighed in relief and jumped into the trap. Stormfly looked up in alarm; her muzzle and tail were chained to the floor as she stared at Eret pleadingly. He had never been this close to a dragon before, unless it involved trapping them. Rescuing was a completely different story.

Eret held his breath as he approached her slowly. Nadders were nasty creatures if one approached them without caution. Their spines held a deadly poison, hence the name, and they were extra alert to their surroundings. Slowly but surely Eret held out his hand to try and calm her.

"Thank you, for saving me," he sighed as she let him touch her snout. "Now let me return the favor."

...

Back in the Dragon Sanctuary, all of us were in Valka's kitchen-styled cave sharing a well deserved meal. Valka was cooking the fish while Stoick, Hiccup and I helped her. All the while Hiccup told his mother about everything we'd changed on Berk.

"Mom, you'd never even recognize the place," Hiccup said in excitement as he gathered chopped fish on a plate. "Where we used to make weapons, we now build saddles, wing slings… we-we even fix dragon's teeth! And Alex helps keep track of the dragons on the island, whether they're visitors or staying. You wouldn't believe how much has changed!" Stoick chuckled at his son's ramblings.

"Our son and Alex have changed Berk for the better," he replied. "I think we did well with this one, Val."

"Thanks dad!" Hiccup said with a smile.

But I hadn't missed the fact that his mother was still edgy. When Stoick placed a hand on her back, she jumped with a yelp and accidentally dropped the fish. Toothless immediately tried snatching the fish up, but Cloudjumper had beaten him to it. I had to laugh when Toothless looked at Cloudjumper pleadingly. Those puppy dog eyes could really come in handy. Then Cloudjumper suddenly regurgitated his fish into a slimy heap, to which Toothless gratefully slurped it up.

"Thank God you don't do that," I whispered to Snowfire. She was resting next to Grump, who had Gobber leaning against him while they waited for their meal. Snowfire opened one eye before humming in agreement.

'_I would rather keep my meal than share it_,' she replied.

"Oh, I got it," Stoick said after chuckling and helped Valka fix a new plate.

"I'm sorry, I'm a little… out of practice," Valka told him, shrugging her shoulders in embarrassment.

"Well, you know…. I didn't marry you for your cooking," Stoick reassured her. Gobber had a nervous look as Hiccup and I joined him with plates full of fish.

"I hope not, because her meatballs can kill more beasts than a battle axe. I've still got a few knockin' around here," the blacksmith said as he rubbed his stomach.

"Is it really that bad?" I asked, thinking of Astrid's cooking while Gobber smirked at us. I regretted asking that as I tried a small bite of Valka's fish. The taste really _did_ make Astrid's cooking look good, and almost at once we both shared our food with Grump.

Luckily Hiccup was too busy to notice, so busy that he hadn't even eaten anything. Mostly because he he couldn't stop talking. I smirked at the sight as I leaned against Grump.

"And once you move back in with your dragons, oh, Drago won't stand a chance! _Everything_ will be okay," he said with the biggest smile ever.

"Um, you sure that the stables will hold them all?" I asked under my breath.

'_And what makes you think they will follow_?' Snowfire added.

"Slow it down, you three," Stoick said with a chuckle. "It's a lot to take in." Valka still seemed nervous, though she wasn't as tense as she had been earlier.

"Oh, gotcha," Hiccup replied sheepishly.

I watched with interest as Valka held up a pot made of clay towards a melting icicle. The silence was almost _overwhelming_ until Stoick suddenly started whistling. And it wasn't just any ordinary whistling. It was the beginning of a song.

"Oh, I love this one," Gobber said as Hiccup sat down to join us to listen and watch.

"Remember our song, Val?" Stoick asked when he paused his whistling, before he started singing.

"_I'll swim and sail on savage seas, with ne'er fear of drowning. And gladly ride the waves of life, if you'll marry me_…."

Hiccup and I watched on in amazement as Stoick gently stroked Valka's face. I barely noticed that Hiccup had wrapped his arm around my shoulder. I'd never heard anyone sing to their wife like this, except for in the movies.

"_No scorching sun, nor freezing cold will stop_—"

That's when Gobber decided to interrupt by singing off key, "Will stop me on my journey!" Both Hiccup and I could only stare at Gobber with our best '_Really_?' looks while Stoick glared at him. "Sorry," he said with a sheepish grin.

"_If you will promise me your… heart_…." Stoick restarted and looked at Valka hopefully, taking her hand into his.

I started leaning forward as I waited for Valka's reaction. She was deathly silent, still looking unsure of herself.

"_And love me for eternity_…."

My eyes widened in amazement when she sang that. Both Hiccup and Gobber had perked up almost instantly when she started singing along.

"_My dearest one, my darling dear, your mighty words astound me. But I've no need of mighty deeds when I feel your arms around me_!" she sang as she and Stoick locked arms and began to dance. Stoick had the biggest smile on his face as he sang along.

"_But I would bring you rings of gold. I'd even sing you poetry_." Valka laughed.

"Oh, would you?" Stoick only grinned back.

"_And I would keep you all from harm, if you stay beside me_."

"_I have no use for rings or gold, I care not for your poetry. I only want to hold your hand_."

"_I only want you near me_!"

Gobber's peg leg was tapping along with the rhythm, and soon Hiccup and I were dancing along. Albeit it was a bit awkward when Gobber joined in, but we were having the time of our lives. It was like living in a fairy tale, and suddenly I wondered if this was what it was like being in one of those Disney princess movies.

_"To love, to kiss, to sweetly hold, For the Dancing and the Dreaming, through all life's sorrows and delights, I'll keep your love inside me, I swim and sail on savage seas with ne'er fear of drowning, and gladly ride the waves of life, if you will marry me_!"

By now Hiccup and I were out of breath, but Gobber still dragged on, "Meeeee…. I'm still goin'…!" Toothless and Snowfire were both covering their ears and moaning in distress. Hiccup patted Gobber on the side to stop. "I'm done," he said with a sheepish smile.

Stoick and Valka embraced each other, the two of them filled with joy. "I thought I'd have to die, before we did that dance again," Stoick sighed.

"No need for drastic measures," Valka laughed in response.

"For you my dear," Stoick began while getting down to one knee. "_Anything_…."

My heart was filled with hope as I realized that Stoick was going to convince Valka to go with us. Silently I begged for her to say 'yes' to everything, from going back to Berk to maybe even talking to Drago about his army.

"Will you, come home with me again, Val? Will you be my wife, once again?" Stoick asked with a pleading look.

Valka looked at Stoick in surprise, but she still had a smile on her face. That's when Toothless decided to take things into his own paws. Toothless had bumped Valka into Stoick's arms, causing her to gasp in surprise. I couldn't help but laugh at the sight as Hiccup went over to join them while I stayed with Gobber.

We may be dating but that didn't mean I was part of the Haddock family. But truthfully I had no blood relative on Berk. So that made things a bit awkward here.

"We can be a family, what do you say?" Stoick asked once again. Valka barely needed a second to decide.

"Yes," she replied happily. Oh, Hiccup had the most adorable smile on his face that I'd ever seen. I hadn't realized how much I was grinning until Gobber pulled me in for a big group hug.

"Great, I can do all the cooking," he announced, making us all laugh. I looked between Hiccup and his family and smiled.

"This is so great! Imagine the feast that will be thrown in your honor; everyone's going to be so happy to see you!" I couldn't help but grin as Stoick looked at me in delight.

"Aye, our future daughter-in-law may be on to something," he replied. I looked at Stoick in surprise when he said that.

"T-Thank you," I whispered, barely unable to contain my happiness when Valka gave me a welcoming hug.

"And we can thank Odin that you two didn't listen to me," Stoick went on as our dragons joined us. Toothless had the goofiest grin on his face as he stood between Hiccup and Valka. "We would have never found each other."

But the happy moment didn't last long. One minute everyone was fine, and the next, Toothless and Snowfire started growling. The hair along my arms started standing on end when I realized that something wasn't right.

'_The Sanctuary is under attack_,' Snowfire suddenly hissed. I realized too late that she was right. Ice was starting to collapse as boulders were hurdled into the Sanctuary. Dragons were flying away from the nest in order to defend it. And I suddenly realized with dread that the one enemy we'd been trying to deal with had arrived….

Drago was here.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Okay, I'll admit that I'm loving all of these chapters :) Although the next one... is definitely going to be a bit more heart-wrenching. Apologies for that, but a movie plot is a movie plot :(<strong>

**Layla347 - Thanks, I'm glad you liked it!**

**Sil - Thanks :) These last few chapters have definitely been fun to write!**

**HTTYD Obsessed - Thanks, I couldn't resist writing the Snoggletog chapter :) And I probably won't be changing the cover any time soon, sorry about that /:**

**69759 - Phew, that's good to hear /: I'm just busy enough as it is.**

**Roxygirl - It's okay! I'm just glad you review at all :) And hehe, someone actually did name the shipping for them, but unfortunately I can't remember what it was XD**


	44. Two Bewilderbeasts

**Chapter Forty Four**

We'd run down to the edge of an icy peak to see the battlefield down below in horror. Stoick and Gobber had caught up with Valka as we watched the scene unfold around us. This was worse than the battle with the Red Death, or even against Alvin and the Outcasts.

"Oh no…." Hiccup breathed as he placed a hand on my shoulder. Valka had already started storming off, infuriated that Drago had the guts to attack the Dragon Sanctuary.

"Val, Val, it's alright. We're a team now. Now, what do you want to do?" Stoick asked after stopping her from recklessly attacking Drago's army. Though truthfully I would've killed Drago myself after seeing what he's done. And Valka seemed to be thinking exactly what I was thinking as she looked at all of us.

"We have to save the dragons," she replied, suddenly looking just as stubborn and determined as Hiccup.

"Aye, you got it. Come on, son. You too, Alex," Stoick waved to the two of us, his face grave.

Drago was about to get his sorry ass whooped. And I was going to make sure that I was there to watch that. We all mounted our dragons and took off towards the battle as Valka went to alert the Alpha. Already I could hear the cries of battle as dragons swooped into defend their comrades, and even rescue some of the armored dragons.

'_We have to keep them from reaching the Sanctuary_,' Snowfire hissed as she flew past a group of men already trying to break in. Fortunately she had already frozen their feet to the ground, after they looked at us in shock. I wasn't sure where Hiccup or the others had run off to. All that mattered right now was finding Drago and putting this battle to an end.

I already had a feeling that once he was taken down there would be nothing left. These men were being forced into fighting, or at least that was what I had hoped. Snowfire let out a roar of fury as another soldier stood up and swung his sword right in front of her.

"No weapons allowed here!" I shouted after knocking a fist against the back of his head once Snowfire zoomed past. I smirked as he stumbled and fell from the impact. My attacks may not be much, but they were definitely better than nothing.

We had finally reached the other side of the Sanctuary, towards the icy field where the battle took place. And what I saw took me by surprise. Drago's men were being overrun by the Dragon Riders. What really took me by surprise though was that Eret, of all people, was actually _flying_ on Stormfly.

"You really are full of surprises!" Astrid shouted as she leaped onto Stormfly's back to steady them. Then I noticed something off about her. She was grinning, the same way Ruffnut had when she first saw Eret.

'_It appears as though the hatchling has found a new admirer_,' Snowfire hummed in amusement at the sight, with me nodding in agreement. I wasn't given much time to process that though, as Ruffnut and Tuffnut flew through the battle with Barf and Belch.

"Dragon Riders coming through!" Tuffnut yelled.

Both he and his sister had their sight set on the dragon traps, and they began springing the dragons caught in them free. Once they set them alight the traps suddenly sprung open. Meatlug and Hookfang began firing at the catapults, destroying them in the process.

"Cut them down!" Drago roared. I spotted him not far from where Snowfire was hovering, and glared. He looked exactly the way Stoick had described him. The long tangled hair and a big ape-like nose gave him a Tarzan appearance, but I'd say that's giving the 'ape man' a bad name.

The catapults fired what looked like axe blades towards the other Dragon Riders. The twins almost got hit by them. Unfortunately Ruffnut was thrown off of Belch's head and started falling towards the battle down below. For a moment I was tempted to rescue her when Fishlegs and Snotlout swooped in, Meatlug and Hookfang catching her by the arms.

I watched with interest as Astrid tried flying Stormfly with Eret right in front of her. The hardest part was flying straight and staying airborne. I had a feeling that Eret was still adjusting to the fact that he was on a dragon.

"Up girl! To the left, Eret! That's it!" Astrid ordered as they flew closer to the mountain. One of the catapults suddenly fired at a massive spire of ice. Snowfire's eyes narrowed instantly when the ice began falling on them. Just when it seemed like the icicle was about to crush them, Snowfire fired at the icicle, blowing it to pieces.

"Nice work," I said with a triumphant grin. Snowfire hummed in agreement just as Toothless fired a plasma blast at one of the catapult launchers, knocking it to the side. Snowfire flew down towards the men manning the catapults and fired at them, knocking a second catapult to the side in the process.

Stoick took the chance and sliced through a line of catapults, which in turn managed to free a Zippleback caught in one of Drago's traps, and netting a few of his soldiers in the process.

'_They deserve worse treatment_,' Snowfire grumbled as a few of his men started to flee.

"Take 'em down!" cried one of the archers.

"Heads up!" Gobber shouted as Grump flew down and knocked the archers off their feet with his club-like tail.

"Mind handling a few more catapults?" I asked as some of Drago's men started firing at us. Snowfire had dodged them all with ease before blasting ice at them, knocking the soldiers around them off their feet once again.

With them taken care of, Snowfire flew up to join Toothless and Stormfly.

'_These humans need to be put in their place_,' Snowfire growled while dodging another boulder that was hurled towards us.

"Welcome aboard, Dragon _Rider_," Hiccup said, gesturing to Eret.

"Thanks," replied Eret. He sounded a bit unsure despite how much courage it took. "I think," he added.

Astrid looked both annoyed and relieved to see us. "Where have you two been?" she demanded.

"Oh, you know, catching up with my mom," Hiccup replied with a shrug. But he was hiding a proud grin, and I had to smirk at the sight.

Astrid looked at us in confusion until I pointed up towards the mountain of ice. She looked up in time to see Valka, dressed in a warrior's outfit while riding Cloudjumper. I had to admit, she did look intimidating in that outfit. Which I'm sure is why she chose it.

And I noticed that someone was following her close behind. The Bewilderbeast, King of the Dragon Sanctuary.

"_That's_ your mother?" Astrid asked in disbelief.

"Long story," I replied nonchalantly.

"Now you know where I get my dramatic flare from," Hiccup said, putting down his visor over his face.

We all hovered there and watched as the Bewilderbeast fired a stream of ice, freezing an entire platoon solid. In the air, Valka swung her staff, and Hideous Zipplebacks set themselves on fire and barreled across the snowy field like wheels through the battlefield. Soldiers were scattered from the attack, and they managed to even destroy most of their battle machine as well. But then of course one of them had to get caught in a dragon trap.

"Come on, Toothless! Show them what you've got!" Hiccup shouted as Toothless swooped down to free the Zippleback. Toothless dove down and fired a plasma blast that opened the trap. Once the Zippleback was free they flew back up to safety. "Thatta boy!"

It was amazing watching Valka tell the dragons where to go and who to attack. They followed without question, several hitting a few more soldiers while the others went to rescue their friends. They had just taken down one of Drago's armored dragons when a net was suddenly flung towards them. Cloudjumper was thrown to the ground, and Valka managed to skid down below, where she came face-to-face with Drago himself.

"I've waited a long time for this," Drago sneered as he and Valka exchanged blows.

"You cannot take our dragons!" Valka shouted back, blocking an attack from his bull hook of a hand. "They are controlled by the Alpha!" Drago smiled wickedly at Valka before glancing over his shoulder. Snowfire had landed beside Valka, snarling angrily at Drago.

'_Traitorous dragon stealer! Egg smasher_!" she began shouting words that I had no doubt Drago either didn't hear or ignored.

"Then it's a good thing I brought a challenger," he said. Then he started waving his bull hook in the air, screaming like…. I wasn't sure how to describe it.

But then I noticed something all the more horrifying as I watched the shoreline. _Another_ Bewilderbeast emerged from the water, upturning the ships that were anchored there. My heart began racing with increasing panic when I looked at the Bewilderbeast.

He was nothing like the King of the Dragon Sanctuary. Instead his face was covered in scars, from what I guessed were years of abuse by Drago. I couldn't help but grimace at the sight, suddenly feeling sorry for him. But one look at his eyes told me that was void of any emotion. It was like Drago had turned the Bewilderbeast into some kind of war machine. And that made me feel sick.

"Another one?" I heard Hiccup ask in disbelief. He and the other riders were still in the air, watching the entire scene unfold before them.

"That is a class ten, class ten!" Fishlegs shouted frantically after giving it a good look.

Then I suddenly understood the situation we were in. A class ten leviathan. No good could come out of this. Not if Drago was planning what I guessed he was planning.

"No…." Valka breathed out in equal disbelief.

"Come on! Take down the Alpha!" Drago commanded, raising his bull hook in the air.

"No!" Before Valka could react, I suddenly charged forward with my sword in hand. "I will not let you enslave those dragons, not while I'm still alive!" I shouted as I swung the sword hard towards Drago's face. I'd have to thank Astrid again later for teaching me some defensive moves.

But of course as soon as I swung my sword, Drago was able to block my attempted attack with a malicious smirk. He managed to catch my hand and threw me back into the snow. My eyes widened in disbelief as Valka rushed in to attack. But Drago managed to trip her off her feet, pinning her to the ice with one foot on her chest.

"Valka!" I couldn't help but cry out as he removed her mask, glaring down in shock. Suddenly Stoick flew in from nowhere and shoved Drago away. "Thank God," I muttered under my breath. Honestly, I don't know how I've managed to survive this long with all of these surprises.

"Thank you," Valka sighed as Stoick helped her up.

"For you my dear, anything," Stoick replied before facing Drago. In the background I could see the Bewilderbeasts battling it off. Their colossal size made the entire ground shake as they held their ground. "Val, you think you can stop them?" Stoick asked his wife.

"I'll do my best! Come on, Cloudjumper!" She hopped onto the Stormcutter and flew off towards the two Bewilderbeasts.

"Alex, you and Snowfire go and help the other riders," Stoick ordered once she was gone. I nodded in agreement before getting into Snow's saddle.

"Yes sir," I replied as she took off. As we took off, I could hear the words exchanged by Drago and Stoick.

"_You_? I watched you burn!" Drago yelled as he and Stoick fought each other down below.

"It takes more than a little fire to kill me!" Stoick shouted back. I turned my attention back to the Bewilderbeasts as they battled it out, ramming their tusks together while the other tried getting the upper hand.

"Is there any way to stop them?" I asked Snowfire. If there was any way I could help out, than I would. I couldn't stand just not doing anything.

'_Perhaps you can communicate with the dark one_,' Snowfire suggested helpfully.

I nodded hopefully as she flew off towards the Bewilderbeasts, ignoring the others when they shouted in surprise. Snowfire hovered between the two Bewilderbeasts, with Valka staring at us in surprise until she realized what we were doing.

God, I really hoped this worked. Otherwise we were both screwed if the darker Bewilderbeast decided to attack. I knew that the Alpha wouldn't attack, not on purpose anyways.

I took a deep breath before reaching out with my hand towards the darker Bewilderbeast. The Alpha simply watched cautiously as I tried reaching out to his enemy.

"Please, don't listen to Drago," I whispered, hopeful that he would listen. "We can help you, if you'd just let us."

The darker Bewilderbeast only glared at me in response before bellowing in defiance. Snowfire only had seconds to fly out of the way as he rammed into the Alpha. I watched on in horror when the darker Bewilderbeast rammed the King into the ice with his tusks.

What happened next was a blur. My heart nearly stopped when the darker Bewilderbeast shoved one of his tusks into the Alpha, driving them in deep. I had to look away when the Alpha let out one final bellow before falling silent.

"No!" Valka gasped in disbelief.

"No," Astrid whimpered at the sight.

I felt like my heart was being torn when I realized what just happened. The Alpha was down…. He was dead. My fists balled up with rage towards Drago. Then I heard Drago's victorious shout.

"We've won! Now, finish _her_!" I looked down in time to see Drago pointing his bull hook at someone. And it sank in that he was pointing at Valka.

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><p><strong>AN: Sorry for the long wait! I've been... rather busy. With the special Swimming Olympics and driving lessons, I don't really have a lot of free time at the moment ^^ And yes, I did leave you all on a cliffie :P<strong>

**Sil - XD I was grinning the entire time I wrote it :P Not sure if something's wrong with me or if I just enjoy writing that much ;)**

**69759 - I love using movie references, especially when the character is from another world with so many great movies XD Only trouble is the time-line... so things might seem a bit out of place :P**

**Nekolover3 - Thank you!**

**Roxygirl - lol, unfortunately double updates are kind of difficult to come by, especially for me ^^ But one day maybe... And yes, I have heard of that song. I listen to Word FM all the time, and they play it almost every hour XD Although I'll admit, the Last Goodbye by Billy Boyd is currently one of my favorite songs right now... I highly recommend it :)**

**HTTYD Obsessed - Thank you, and that's awesome! :D I actually have a description of her and all the other characters from my other stories on my profile. Unfortunately I'm not a very good artist so... yeah XD**

**Guest - I kind of skipped over it because of the lengthy episodes ^^ I do apologize for that though.**


	45. We've Won

**Chapter Forty Five**

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><p>"<em>I'm not about to give up, Because I heard you say, There's gonna be brighter days, There's gonna be brighter days, I won't stop, I'll keep my head up, No, I'm not here to stay, There's gonna be brighter days, There's gonna be brighter days...<em>" Move, MercyMe

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><p>"We've won…." Drago's words sent shivers down my arms, and I suddenly realized that the Dark Bewilderbeast was now after Valka. Cloudjumper had narrowly missed getting frozen solid by the Bewilderbeasts ice. But his tail was frozen during his escape, and Valka was thrown off of his back.<p>

Hiccup and I exchanged knowing looks the moment Valka was down. This had to end, now. Snowfire and Toothless flew down to where Drago was. Stoick had rescued Valka just in time to avoid getting attacked again. All the while more and more dragons from the Sanctuary were joining the Dark Bewilderbeast's side. It was than that I realized we might just be fighting a losing battle.

"Stop!" Hiccup shouted when the two of us reached Drago. At the sound of his voice, Drago turned around to see our dragons landing in front of him. "Stop," Hiccup repeated when Drago only sneered. "This madness ends now!" By now he removed his helmet, and I stood firmly by his side. If Drago did anything to hurt him, I would make it my personal mission to cut his head off.

"These are the two great Dragon Masters?" Drago scoffed. "The son of Stoick the Vast, and some girl that no one has heard of." He chuckled darkly as he glared at me. "What shame he and his tribe must feel," he added with a sneer. Luckily we both kept our cool, though I felt the urge to cut his head off even more when he said that.

"All of this loss, and for what? To rule the world?" Hiccup asked him, trying to sound reasonable. But I've learned in a short time that Drago was anything but reasonable. Valka and Stoick had already made their points. And yet I still remained, unable to shake off the feeling that something bad was about to happen.

"This battle is pointless," I put in, trying to hide my anger. "How many more must suffer under your tyranny before you get what you desire?" Drago only smirked before Hiccup continued, earning a glare from what I like to call, the 'ape man'.

"Dragons, they are kind, amazing creatures that can bring people together," he went on in a hopeful tone. Drago actually seemed to be listening. But than his face twisted in an ugly scowl as he glared at us.

"Or tear them apart," he snapped. Then he pried off his prosthetic arm. All I could do was stare at what used to be his arm, which now nothing more than a stump. I wondered for a moment how long Drago had been armless. "You see, I know what it is like to live in fear. To see my village burnt, my family taken." I couldn't help but wince at that. Just knowing that someone's family was taken from them…. It reminded me all too well of what happened to my family. "But even as a boy left with nothing, I vowed to rise above the fear of dragons, and liberate the people of this world."

Drago circled the both of us, watching our reactions. I tried to keep calm despite our situation. But I could see the way he eyed me. The hunger in his eyes made me suddenly feel sick. It was like he saw us as his prey, and would do whatever he pleased to us. Instinctively I reached for the sword at my waste, careful not to provoke an attack.

"Then why a dragon army?" Hiccup asked after noticing as well. Drago stopped in his tracks and grinned wickedly.

"Well, you need dragons to conquer other dragons," he replied boldly.

"Do you really think that killing the Alpha was the answer?" I demanded, my voice becoming cold with fury as I glared at Drago. "Abuse isn't the answer, I should know." Hiccup gave me a strange look as I almost ground my teeth at the words. Fortunately he chose to ignore it and went on.

"Or maybe you need dragons to conquer _people_, to control those who follow you, and get rid of the ones who don't," Hiccup said.

"The fact that you hurt that Bewilderbeast so many times that he's void of any emotions makes me sick," I went on. "Those who refuse to join you, you just kill without mercy." Drago just chuckled at both of our responses, like it was some kind of joke to him.

"Clever, both of you," he replied.

But Hiccup was set in reasoning with the madman. I was tempted to stop him right than and there, but something told me I better not. Drago saw us as a threat, and could easily order his dragons to attack us all at once.

"The world wants peace," Hiccup tried reasoning with him again. "And we have the answer on Berk. Just let us show you…." He flinched when Drago's face hardened.

"No. Let _me_ show _you_!" Suddenly he raised his bull hook in the air and started swinging it again. Then he started screaming like the madman that he was, and it dawned on me that he was summoning the Dark Bewilderbeast. Toothless and Snowfire let out growls of defiance as they backed away with us. Once the Dark Bewilderbeast arrived, Drago slammed his bull hook in the ground and he bowed in submission. I felt my stomach twist with pity as I looked at it.

'_No creature should ever go through that abuse_,' Snowfire growled as she backed away towards me. I nodded in agreement just as Drago started speaking again.

"No dragon can resist the Alpha's command. So he who controls the Alpha, controls them all," Drago said, pointing his bull hook towards both Toothless and Snowfire. I watched on in horror as Toothless began moaning and whining, while Snowfire buried her snout into the snow, like they were both trying to fight something.

That was when I heard it. The voice wasn't entirely loud, but it was enough to make even me feel dizzy. My legs felt wobbly until Hiccup managed to catch me in his arms. It was then I realized what Drago was doing.

"Toothless, you okay, bud? What's going on?" Hiccup asked when he helped me back on my feet.

"Witness true strength. The strength of will over others," Drago sneered as the Dark Bewilderbeast looked down at both dragons. I barely took notice to the fact that the voice I heard was his. It was like I could hear a faint buzzing noise, almost like someone was trying to control _my_ thoughts.

The Dark Bewilderbeast's pupils suddenly began flickering as he maintained eye contact with our dragons. Both Snowfire and Toothless were trying to shake it off, and the realization of what he was doing cut through me like a knife.

"In the face of it…." Drago began while pointing his bull hook at Toothless and Snowfire. "You two are _nothing_." I felt my heart skip a beat when he pointed his bull hook at us.

By the time I managed to shake off the voice in my head, I realized too late what was happening. Both Toothless and Snowfire had straightened up. And I managed to feel a real sense of terror when I looked into their eyes. They were both under the Dark Alpha's control. Toothless' eye pupils were now completely void of emotions, and so were Snowfire's.

"Uh, what did he just tell you to do?" Hiccup asked hesitantly as both dragons began turning on us.

Kill…. I could hardly hear the whisper as horror surged through me. My heart sank at the fact that Snowfire was under Drago's control. She had once said that no dragon could control her. And now…. My hands shook with dread.

"Toothless, what's the matter with you? What are you doing?" Hiccup demanded, hoping that his voice would break the trance they were under. But the dragons only advanced on us both, to the point where our backs were against a block of ice.

"Snowfire please, you have to fight it!" I yelped when my hand touched the ice. Part of me was desperate to hear her voice again. And yet another part of me was relieved that I couldn't right now. Because I knew that I would only hear the Dark Bewilderbeast instead.

"Knock it off!" Hiccup shouted as our two dragons opened their mouths. I could already hear the gas building up inside of them, and any minute now they would fire at us. It was horrifying to think about, especially since right now we were sitting ducks.

"Stop! Snap out of it!" Hiccup and I both shouted. By now my body was shaking with terror when I realized how deadly this was getting. Our efforts were futile. Toothless and Snowfire… they were both completely under Drago's control.

"Snowfire, please don't!" I pleaded just as Hiccup began pleading for Toothless to stop. That was when I heard Stoick yelling Hiccup's name. It took me a few seconds to realize that he was going to rescue us. I glanced towards the side, desperately wishing Stoick wouldn't risk his life.

"Stop!" Hiccup yelled at the top of his lungs as Snowfire and Toothless readied their attacks.

"Son!" Stoick shouted, and I saw him running closer.

"Stoick, don't!" I shouted with equal just as Hiccup had spotted him.

"Dad!" Hiccup tried holding out an arm to stop his father from getting any closer. That's when Snowfire and Toothless decided to attack. "No!" Hiccup and I both screamed as Stoick rammed into us, knocking us out of the way just in time.

The silence that followed was almost ear-splitting.

It felt like the world had stopped when the sound of a blast echoed throughout the battle field. Hiccup and I were gasping for breath when I looked at Toothless and Snowfire. They were both panting, still under the Dark Alpha's control, from the massive explosion they'd just created. I realized that Hiccup had shielded me with his body during the entire time, but I had little time to dwell on it.

"No…." Hiccup breathed as we both scrambled to our feet. I spotted what he was staring at and gaped in horror. "Dad!" he cried as he rushed over to his father's side and brushed away the remaining ice.

I found myself unable to speak. My voice was mute from the shock and disbelief at what I was staring at. Stoick had risked his life, to save ours. And there was nothing I could do to help. I'd never felt more helpless then now as I felt to my knees, fighting the tears that followed.

"Stoick!" Valka gasped when she arrived. He had seemed so invincible when I first met him, and now….

"Dad… no, you…." Hiccup started, but stopped when he couldn't find the right words. Valka dropped to her knees as well and leaned forward, with her ears pressed against his chest to hear any heartbeat. But her gaze dropped with grief when she found none.

My heart was sinking even faster when I realized what just happened. Stoick had given his life to keep us alive. He risked his own life so that we could live to see another day. Stoick the Vast, Chief of Berk, was dead.

And Hiccup…. I could barely stand seeing his grief-stricken face. "No…." he managed to choke out. I couldn't find the words to say anything. I was still too shocked to even move properly. I felt like there were still so many things left unsaid. Stoick didn't deserve to die like this.

"I-I'm sorry…." I finally managed to whisper, wiping away a tear. I hated crying. To me tears were just a sign of weakness. But right now, I couldn't stop myself. Grief shadowed my thoughts as I stared at Stoick's lifeless body. "I'm so sorry…."

Astrid and the other Dragon Riders had already arrived, eyes widening at the sight they saw next. By now Hiccup had buried his face into Stoick's chest as he sobbed. In all honesty, this didn't even feel real. It was like I was in a dream now.

Finally Astrid managed to comfort his mother as she stood up a little. I hated seeing everyone like this. The last time I had felt this devastated was when my family split apart. My mom had never really gotten over that, and than everything that followed got worse between me and my father.

I was shaken from my thoughts when I heard the sound of shuffling dragon feet. Toothless and Snowfire…. They were broken free of Drago's trance. But the effects of their attack still lingered. I felt fear rush through me when Snowfire approached me warily.

'_Alex_?' she asked hesitantly, tilting her head to one side in confusion. I looked at her in surprise when she called me by my name. She _never_ did that. And it only scared me even more.

"P-please, just go away… for a while," was all I could whisper when she stopped in her tracks. Snowfire only lowered her muzzle just as Toothless approached Stoick's body, having realized what they had done.

They looked devastated when they realized that Stoick was dead. Toothless warbled in concern as he lowered his head and tried approaching warily. I hadn't even realized that I was pushing Snowfire away at the time. My mind was already going through enough grief at the moment. I don't think I could what happened next.

"No! Get away from him!" Hiccup suddenly shouted, and I noticed that Toothless had tried bumping Stoick's hand. Toothless only looked at his rider in shock and confusion before backing away fearfully. Poor Toothless, he looked like he was just scolded for stealing garbage from the trash bin. But I didn't blame Hiccup for his reaction. He was too grief-stricken to realize that it wasn't their fault. "Go on! Get out of here! Go away!"

Staring at Hiccup in shock, Toothless whimpered and ran away. I was tempted to run after both Toothless and Snowfire to reassure them that everything would be fine. But part of me refused to budge. All I wanted was to wake up from this horrible nightmare. Maybe wake up back in my world. Or back in the Dragon Sanctuary, where we were safe and out of Drago's path of blood and war.

Hiccup had fallen to his knees as I put a hand on his shoulder, trying to find the right words to say. Luckily Valka had beaten me to it, a look of grief shadowing her face as she spoke, "It's not their fault…. You know that."

Just as she said that, I could hear that voice again. My blood ran cold when I realized that the Dark Bewilderbeast was calling all of the dragons away. Every last one of them, including the Rider's dragons.

"Good dragons under the control of bad people… do bad things…." Valka told us all in a grim voice as we all watched our dragons leave.

That voice, I could still hear it. It was dark and dangerous. And I realized that it wasn't just the Dark Bewilderbeast that I could hear. It was Drago's voice as well. All of those years of torture the Dark Bewilderbeast had gone through, only to serve as Drago's slave.

Suddenly my fists balled up as I reached for my sword. I was going to cut his head off for this. No one hurt our dragons and got away with it. I would make him pay for everything he has done, to us and our dragons.

Toothless, who was now under the his command, tried flying up to join the other dragons. But instead he crashed into the ice and was thrown down by Drago. I watched with rage as Drago buried his bull hook into Toothless' snout and climbed into his saddle.

"Come on! Gather the men and meet me at Berk!" he shouted. I was not going to let Drago slip away. Not after everything he had done.

Without warning I suddenly charged after Drago, ignoring the buzzing in my head. Drago looked at me in disbelief as I rammed into his side, knocking him off of Toothless before swinging my sword at his face.

"You're nothing but a bastard!" I spat as I raised my sword at him. I managed to land a hit against his jaw with my leg. Drago only smirked triumphantly as he blocked my next attack. "You're worse than an asshole," I added when I suddenly swung my sword across his face, scoring a mark across his nose.

Drago reeled back in surprise before suddenly grabbing my sword with his free hand. My eyes widened in disbelief as he pulled the sword away and tossed it aside like it was nothing.

"Enough!" he roared in defiance. I was about to punch him in the gut when he suddenly grabbed me by my hand with an iron grip. "No one faces me and lives to tell the tale," he sneered. "You may have the power of an Alpha, but you are still nothing."

"Let her go!" I barely had time to figure out who said that. By now Drago had reached for my throat, and I was starting to feel light headed. Exhaustion quickly crept in as I heard that loud voice again, this time coming from the Dark Bewilderbeast. "Drago, let her go!"

Hiccup…. My vision started getting blurry just as Drago suddenly threw me back. I forced back a cry of shock when I collided with someone. It didn't take me long to realize that someone was Hiccup. By the time I recovered, Drago was already taking off with our dragons.

"No!" I gasped, my voice still hoarse as Hiccup held me there.

"Don't," Valka whispered as I started thrashing to free myself from his grip. She rushed over to our side just as the last dragons left us stranded there.

"No…." I felt bitter rage and agony at the loss.

Not only did we lose our dragons, but our Chief as well.

Stoick was dead. And Snowfire was gone. My best friend in the whole world, was gone. And I suddenly felt like I had no one to blame but myself.

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><p><strong>AN: I was actually tearing up a little one I wrote this... I feel so bad now :'( And inspiration for this chapter actually came from GuardianDragon98; please check out her story, she's actually a really good author with plenty of good ideas!<strong>

**Sil - Sorry, but it has to happen :'(**

**Layla347 - Thanks!**

**69759 - Wow, that's extreme in weather terms. Though I should say, be thankful you don't live on Mt. Washington or in Antarctica. Temperatures can be quite different in both areas ;)**

**Guest - Thank you! And unfortunately I being the author can do whatever I please :P And yes, finally someone else who has heard it! It's one of my favorite songs right now, right next to Messengers by Lecrae :)**

**Noelle - Thank you, I appreciate the compliment :) I'm hoping to become an author someday ^^ But for now my heart is set on FF. I also try to update every day, but life sometimes get in the way XD**


	46. A Viking Funeral

**Chapter Forty Six**

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><p>"<em>Abide with me, fast falls the eventide, The darkness deepens, Lord, with me abide, When other helpers fail and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, O abide with me...<em>" Abide With Me, Libera

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><p>I'd never been to a funeral, let alone a Viking funeral.<p>

Let's just say that over the past years of my life in my own world, I was lucky to not have endured one.

Because right now, I was fighting fresh waves of grief as we searched for a proper burial. Stoick deserved that at least. But with what little material we could find, it wasn't much of a burial. I could only watch as Valka placed a white sheet over her dear husband's body. Hiccup had placed his helmet on top, with tears still running down his face.

Once the pyre was set, the boys pushed it out to sea and Gobber got our arrows ready. He quickly handed Hiccup a bow of his own and patted him sympathetically on the shoulder, sniffling in the process. The look he told me said that I better stay by his side, to provide all the comfort he needed.

I fought back my own tears and gripped hard on the bow and arrow while Gobber gave the eulogy.

"May the Valkyries welcome you, and lead you through Odin's great battlefield. May they sing your name with love and fury, so that we may hear it rise from the depths of Valhalla… and know that you have taken your rightful place at the table of kings. For a great man has fallen. A warrior…. A Chieftain…. A father…. A friend…."

By now I couldn't fight the tears as I thought of everything Stoick had done for me. He took me in when he could have easily sent me away. He made sacrifices that not many would have. And most of all, he approved. Moreover of my relationship with Hiccup.

Hiccup and I let our arrows loose together. As soon as they caught the ship on fire, I found myself holding hands with Hiccup. He was gripping mine like his life depended on it. I hadn't realized until now how much we relied on each other. Either for silent support or for protecting the dragons, our lives were connected.

I glanced back in time to see Valka, Astrid and the others let loose their arrows. Even Eret joined in, a look of grief and something else gleaming in his eyes. When all the arrows had been fired, we all watched as the pyre lit up in the distance.

We were all deathly quiet afterwords. A few minutes had passed before Hiccup let go of my hand and stepped forward, gazing out towards the ship.

"I'm sorry, dad…." he said softly. I had a feeling his apology was more towards all of the mistakes that he'd made. But it didn't make anything better. If anything, I was only feeling worse as I thought of how forgiving Stoick had been, and likely still was. "I'm not the Chief that you wanted me to be, and I'm not the peacekeeper I thought I was…. I… don't… know." He let out a heavy sigh that was full of emotions.

I was tempted to say something that might make him feel better. But I found myself staring in the distance while Valka came in to comfort him. She went over to his side and brushed a hand across his hair, smiling sadly.

"You came in early to this world," she began in a soothing tone. "You were such a whee thing, so fragile…. I feared you wouldn't make it. But your father… he never doubted." She turned so that he was facing her and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "He always said you would become the strongest of them all. And he was right."

I could still remember how angry I had been when Stoick disowned his son. Or all the times he had simply ignored him. All that time I thought Stoick believed that he was useless. But now, I realized how wrong I was. Stoick had actually cared about everything his son said or did.

Back then I made amends with Stoick. But at the time I never really appreciated all that he'd done. Now I suddenly regretted everything that I said or thought about him. My heart was still overcome with grief when Valka spoke again, this time in a soft and reassuring tone.

"You have the heart of a Chief, and the soul of a dragon," she told him. "Only you can bring our worlds together. _That_ is who you are, son." I suddenly realized how important her words were. Berk needed a hero now more than ever, with Drago and his army on the way.

Only Hiccup was capable of figuring out how to stop him. Because he also had the intelligence to do so. I nodded in agreement to Valka's words as Hiccup looked off to the distance. Though I couldn't see his face, I knew he was still facing an emotional storm.

"I… ah…. I was so afraid of becoming my dad… mostly because I thought I never could," he began. "How do you become someone that great, that brave, that selfless?" I couldn't help but smile as I thought of how brave Hiccup actually was.

_He doesn't give himself enough credit_, I thought. _All he has to do is try_. And what he said next confirmed my thoughts.

"I guess you can only try…." And when he turned to face us, Hiccup now had a face of determination. "A Chief protects his own. We're going back." And yet as much as I would love to go back to Berk, there was still one little problem….

"With what?" Tuffnut piped up, voicing my thoughts.

"He took all of our dragons," Ruffnut pointed out. Hiccup smiled a bit at that.

"Not all of them," he reassured them.

Then I suddenly understood where he was getting at. "The baby Scuttleclaws," I said hopefully. "The Alpha hasn't taken them with him…."

"Because they listen to no one," Valka finished for me. "We all must hurry to the Dragon Sanctuary," she suddenly instructed and led the way.

Everyone followed Valka to the sanctuary. Everyone except for us. I knew there were still things that needed to be said. Hiccup knew it as well, and still looked distraught over what just happened. Neither of us said a thing before Hiccup wrapped his arms around me in a hug.

"Hiccup, I'm sorry…. I'm so sorry," was all I could say.

"Alex, what are you apologizing for? You didn't do anything wrong," he reassured me when we pulled apart. I forced back another small stream of tears as I looked away. I remembered everything that was going on through the Dark Alpha's mind. It was scary to know what it was thinking. That it had wanted everyone on the battlefield killed.

"I could hear his thoughts," I murmured guiltily. "All of them…. It was like he _knew_ that I could." I found myself shaking as I imagined the Dark Alpha glaring down at us, telling our dragons to _kill_ us. Hiccup placed a hand on my shoulder when he realized what had happened back there. "That's why I attacked Drago. I…. I won't let him get away with this. That bastard has to be taken down, one way or the other."

"I know," Hiccup reassured me after squeezing my hand gently. I looked at him in surprise when I saw that he was still crying. Without another word I pulled him in for another hug, and he buried his face into my shoulder. "I just wish I had more time…. Dad, why did he have to suddenly leave me?" he whispered.

"He didn't leave you." I wasn't even sure what beckoned me to say those words. Maybe it was the Christian religion that mom had spoon-fed me for years. Either way, I knew that Hiccup needed comfort now more than ever. And knowing that there was a Heaven up there was more than just reassuring to me.

"But what if I'm not ready for this?" he suddenly asked. "You've already seen what happens when I make quick decisions." Again, I struggled to find the right words for this. Hiccup had no idea how lucky he was to have a kind and caring father like Stoick was. And I'd never gotten around to tell him that.

"Everyone makes mistakes," I reassured him just as he had reassured me. "It's just part of being human. And sometimes it's the best part of being human. You can learn from your mistakes, and grow from them. Your father would be proud of what you've accomplished."

This time it was Hiccup's turn to look at me in surprise. Those were words of wisdom my mom once taught me, when she had finished another shift at the hospital. Apparently a patient she had was almost run over by a car, and she thought that would be a good time to bring the subject up.

"I guess, you're right about that," he said with a small smile. "If there's one thing I've learned from dad, it's not to give up," he added with a firm nod.

I nodded in agreement as we made our way back to the sanctuary. Now all we needed to do was get the Scuttleclaws to agree with our plan. That was going to take a bit more time than I'd hoped.

...

Valka had the Scuttleclaws lined up in a somewhat straight row in front of us. Ten dragons for ten riders. It was an interesting sight to watch as two began squabbling with each other. The twins immediately began fighting as if the babies had provoked it, making us all roll our eyes as Gobber pulled them apart.

A dark purple Scuttleclaw suddenly approached me without hesitation, purring as I knelt down to pet it. "I think I found my partner in crime," I said with a sheepish grin.

"So I take it you and Hiccup managed to settle things?" Gobber suddenly asked, making the two of us blush while the others smirked in amusement.

"Yeah, for the most part," Hiccup replied while a Scuttleclaw approached him and practically jumped into his arms. "Riding them is going to be different compared to the older, bigger dragons," he added as the others were given their own Scuttleclaw.

"How different can it be?" Snotlout asked as he tried mounting his. Unfortunately the Scuttleclaw's head was too top heavy, and it fell over with Snotlout rolling onto his butt. I tried not to laugh at the sight as Valka gave him a few pointers.

"Just hold on tight and lean back," she told him when he tried again. This time, despite the extra weight, the Scuttleclaw was able to fly. It was amusing watching the others try and mount their Scuttleclaws shortly after. Then when it came to my turn, I failed a few times to even try and get in the air.

"Look out Drago," I said when I finally managed to get airborne. "We're coming after you!"

It was time to stop Drago once and for all. Even if it did mean cutting his head off.

...

There's a few things about Scuttleclaws that I've learned over the past thirty minutes or so.

That you shouldn't ride them.

They're difficult to control, and top heavy. Meaning every time you lean forward you risk falling off of them. I barely held onto my Scuttleclaw as we flew through the network of ice caves. The others were having an equal amount of difficulty trying to control the Scuttleclaws.

"Fly straight!" Ruffnut shouted as hers veered into an ice wall. I rolled my eyes and mentally shouted that they couldn't. It wasn't their fault that they were top-heavy. They just happened to be born that way.

"I don't want to die!" Fishlegs cried as the one he was on nearly fell over due to the extra weight.

"We can't fly these things," Tuffnut hollered at me. Hiccup had to push up his helmet to keep it from falling off.

"Yeah, no kidding!" Fishlegs called back in terror.

I could hear the others crying out in the background; mostly Astrid and Eret, struggling to keep up with us. Honestly, Valka made flying these things look easy. I wasn't even sure how she could hold on with one hand and still stay upright. Fishlegs had managed to barrel right into a snowbank before finally flying upwards.

Hiccup and I were having better control of our Scuttleclaws when Astrid managed to gain control of hers. She flew faster to catch up with us, glancing between me and Hiccup as she finally spoke up. "But won't that Bewilderbeast just try and take control of these guys, too?" she asked cautiously.

"They're babies, they don't listen to anyone!" Hiccup and I said at the same time. I had to laugh at the face Astrid made.

"Yeah, no kidding!" Tuffnut suddenly cried, referring to him and his sister. Meanwhile I could hear Gobber complaining as his Scuttleclaw bashed into the snow several times. He had an even more difficult time with his hook for a hand.

"This… is… very dangerous!" Gobber shouted with every crash into the ice. "Some might suggest… that this is poorly conceived!" he added while glancing at the two of us.

"Well, apparently I never listen so…." I shrugged and grinned when Gobber crashed into another pile of snow.

"Yeah, that's probably a good thing," Hiccup replied with a sheepish look. As icicle spears started jutting out from the bottom, the three of us had to cut our conversation short and split up without crashing into them.

"So! What _is_….! Your plan?" Gobber asked, still hollering at us.

"Get Toothless and Snowfire back, and kick Drago's—" Hiccup was cut off when an icicle spear blocked his path.

"Kick his sorry excuse for an ass," I finished for him as I, Valka and Astrid managed to avoid hitting an ice wall.

"Heads up," Gobber warned us when we approached the ice wall.

"And there's that thing," Hiccup added as we narrowly flew through the crack in the ice before crashing. Gobber…. Well, he wasn't so lucky. With a yelp he smashed right into the ice wall. He and his Scuttleclaw went spiraling down. Luckily Snotlout and the others were there to help him.

"Well, I can tell you one thing…. I'm never riding this guy again," I said after narrowly avoiding another wall. Hiccup nodded in agreement at that.

...

It was night time when the attack on Berk happened. Everything had been peaceful at the moment. Almost everyone was asleep after a long day.

But then everything changed. The atmosphere had suddenly become tense as the statues of Viking Guardians were broken to pieces. That was when the dragons had suddenly begun to change. One by one they flew off, away from their owners.

Even the Terrible Terrors that Gothi loved so had flown away from her. And all the people of Berk could do was look on in horror when they saw what was happening.

A creature the size of a mountain loomed over the entire island, facing the village with emotionless eyes. Then Spitelout spotted something that made everyone stare in horror.

Drago was sitting atop Toothless. Snowfire hovered nearby, and the other Dragon Rider's dragons were close behind them. Drago smirked and raised his bull hook in the air.

"Your Chief is dead!" Drago shouted back at the panicking villagers.

"Stoick?" one villager gasped in disbelief.

"S'not possible," another whispered.

"No one can protect you now," Drago said with a triumphant smirk.

Everyone began to run as the Dark Bewilderbeast fired ice at the village. Things were not looking up for Berk. At this rate, they needed their Chief now more than ever.

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><p><strong>AN: So, lots of parts mixed into one chapter :) And this one is full of feels... It definitely made me cry just thinking about it. Then again I cried during Dolphin Tale 2 so... Yeah XD Also, thought Abide with Me would be suitable for this chapter... it was either that or Do Not Stand At My Grave and Weep :'(<strong>

**Reader103 - Sorry, it had to happen :(**

**FallenArcAngel16 - I know... but I had to include it for the plot. And yes, Snowfire did unfortunately leave.**

**Sil - I actually did too :'( I cried during the movie too when I first saw it. I'm such an emotional sap XD But I love those kind of movies, 'cause they tug at the heart strings. And trust me, you're not the only one who hates Drago...**

**Layla347 - Thank you, I'm glad you liked it :)**

**GuardianDragon98 - Thank you for reviewing! And I was more than happy to say that :) Your writing is really good, and I hope you plan on keeping it up! :D**

**Noelle - ^^ Thank you! Trying hard not to blush XD Though I don't think I'd want my books turned into movies, not unless they were really accurate. I felt bad for Christopher Paloni when Eragon was turned into a movie; the books were incredible but the movie had nothing to do with the book...**

**69759 - Was that a reference to the first movie? :P And nice terminology there. :)**

**Roxygirl - It's okay, I've done that already when I review as a guest XD But don't worry, Alex won't be dying... at least anytime soon :P And I know, I can be cruel as an author sometimes...**


	47. Two New Alphas for Berk

**Chapter Forty Seven**

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><p>"<em>To these memories I will hold, With your blessing I will go, To turn at last to paths that lead home, And though where the road then takes me, I cannot tell, We came all this way But now comes the day, To bid you farewell...<em>" The Last Goodbye, Billy Boyd

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><p>I bid you all a very fond farewell<p>

It was dawn when we arrived at Berk. What we saw when we got there made us gasp in horror.

One of the Guardian Viking statues was taken down. Most of the island itself was covered in the Dark Bewilderbeast's ice. And I noticed with horror that Snowfire had also frozen bits and pieces of the ice. I had to remind myself again that this wasn't her fault. Drago was the one doing this.

But what horrified me the most was that all of the dragons on Berk had been taken under Drago's control. They were swarming around the island along with Valka's dragons and Drago's armored dragons. Drago himself was still riding Toothless and glaring down at Berk.

"No…." Hiccup breathed as he stared at the remains of Berk.

"He took all of the dragons!" Fishlegs groaned.

"How exactly do you plan on getting them back?" Astrid asked.

"Distract the Alpha," Hiccup told everyone. "Try to keep his focus off of Toothless and Snowfire."

"Uh, how?" Tuffnut asked. Their Scuttleclaws weren't going to necessarily be useful in a battle. They had already proven that while flying. Eret then flew forward with a confident look on his face. I had almost forgotten he was with us until now.

"Have you forgotten who you're riding with?" he asked boldly. "There isn't a dragon alive that I can't wrangle!" His proud tone was cut short when the Scuttleclaw suddenly dove-bombed towards the ocean. I tried not to smirk at the sight as Astrid flew down to help him. "Except for this one!" he yelped.

"Amateur," Snotlout scoffed.

"Hiccup, I'm going to see if there's a way to connect to that Alpha," I warned him. "If anything can be done to stop this, it's him. There might be a way to break the hold Drago has on him."

I tried to keep my voice confident, despite the fear that threatened to overwhelm me. Hiccup gave me a worried look before nodding in agreement. If anything it gave us a small sense of hope. That even Drago couldn't control dragons, like he had said.

We flew closer towards the island, and I noticed with relief that not all of Berk had been frozen. Most of the houses were still intact, albeit they were now covered in ice and snow. But at least it wouldn't take too much repair work to fix what was destroyed.

"Hey, look! It's Hiccup and Alex!" one Viking shouted after spotting us in the distance. The others began cheering for our arrival, though I had a feeling it was geared more towards Hiccup. Knowing that Berk still had an heir was probably a huge relief to them.

"What?" Drago growled as Hiccup and I flew closer to our dragons. I wondered for a moment what kind of distraction Astrid and the others had in mind. Then a sheep suddenly flew in the air and landed on the Alpha's face.

I breathed a silent thanks to whoever was watching over us when the Alpha's attention was taken away from Toothless and Snowfire. Now for the real challenge. We needed to find a way to free them from the Alpha's control.

Another sheep was flung into the air by a catapult and tumbled down the Alpha's face. Snotlout, Tuffnut and Ruffnut kept loading the catapult with sheep and firing to keep the Alpha distracted.

"Keep 'em coming boys!" Ruffnut shouted just as Snotlout grabbed the black sheep.

"Black sheep baby!" he whooped as they prepared to launch again. The Alpha suddenly became angry and started to fire when the Thunderdrum horn blared. I had to admit, it was an amusing sight as they used the distraction to launch the black sheep. Sure enough it landed on the Alpha's face and slowly tumbled down his spikes. "Ten points!" Snotlout cheered loudly. "Uh-oh," he suddenly stammered when the Alpha prepared to fire again.

Luckily the horn sounded off again. But this time, the Alpha suddenly reared up and fired at the horn. I winced as the Alpha destroyed the horn in a blast of ice, splintering it into pieces. "I'm okay!" Fishlegs whimpered from behind a boulder.

Hiccup and I looked at each other before nodding. If we didn't face Drago now, all of Berk would be doomed. I took a deep breath and flew ahead, with Hiccup by my side. My heart clenched with pity as I saw that Snowfire was still under Drago's control. Her eyes were tiny slits like Toothless'. I hadn't realized until now how much I missed her soothing voice.

"You two are certainly hard to get rid, I'll say that," Drago sneered. Hiccup and I ignored him and focused on our dragons.

"Toothless…. Hey, it's me bud. It's me, it's me, I'm right here, bud…. Come back to me," Hiccup called out softly to Toothless.

"Snowfire, hey girl…. Please, I'm right here…. Please come back," I pleaded as I maintained eye contact with her.

Again I could feel the Alpha's thoughts threatening to overwhelm me. They were full of hate towards humans…. And towards the dragons that had refused to help him. I desperately tried shaking off the thoughts when my head began throbbing again. Hiccup glanced at me warily when he noticed what was happening.

Drago only chucked darkly at our attempts at bringing them back. "They aren't yours anymore. They belong to the Alpha; but please, oh great Dragon Masters, try to take them," he sneered as the Bewilderbeast got under us.

I knew how dangerous this was. If we managed to pull off any tricks, Drago would finish us off for good this time. We had no other means of defense. And Drago could see that as the Alpha continued staring us down.

"He will not miss a second time." I kept myself calm despite our situation and tried reaching out once more. The Alpha's voice was getting louder, to the point where my ears were ringing from it.

"It wasn't yours and Snowfire's faults, bud," Hiccup continued.

"This was all Drago's fault. You did nothing wrong, Snow," I whispered as we urged our Scuttleclaws closer. They were uneasy with the sight of adult dragons in their way. I reached out with my hand and pressed it against Snowfire's snout, ignoring the glare that Drago gave me. "I can't imagine my life without you, Snow…. Stoick's death, it wasn't your fault."

"You'd never hurt him, you'd never hurt us…."

I noticed with both surprise and hope, that the Alpha's control over them was slowly waning. His voice wasn't as loud as it had been. And it wasn't long before I noticed that their eyes began changing from slits to dilated pupils.

"How are you two _doing_ that?" Drago hissed in disbelief.

_Because I would give my life to protect our dragons_, I told myself. We continued saying comforting words to our best dragon friends, and I could see that Drago was getting more and more frustrated.

"You're more than just my best friend, Snowfire," I told her. And she suddenly began to croon in response, their eyes slowly turning back to normal.

"You're our best friends," Hiccup finished for me.

And that was when it finally worked. Toothless and Snowfire had shaken off Drago's control, crooning happily when they saw us. The air around me had suddenly gotten warmer as Snowfire came forward and nudged me. I tried not to laugh when I realized that this had proven our trust would forever remain strong.

"That a boy! I'm here!" Hiccup cheered when Toothless' pupils grew wide and he gave a puppy-dog grin.

'_Alex_?' Snowfire asked when I gave her a much needed hug.

"I missed you too," I whispered as she hummed with happiness.

"No!" Drago suddenly yelled and tried whacking Toothless with his bull hook. But Toothless had snapped and grabbed the bull hook with his teeth, throwing off Drago in the process. Toothless gave his famous toothless smile before suddenly falling.

I realized too late that without a rider, he had no control over his tail fin. "Hang on!" Hiccup shouted as he jumped off of his Scuttleclaw and fell after Toothless. While Hiccup was reaching for Toothless, my attention was suddenly returned to the Alpha.

I knew what he was capable of now. I knew that he was abused and broken. I'd been there, and I knew what that was like. With a heavy sigh, I jumped into Snowfire's saddle and decided to take the biggest risk of my life.

"We have to separate those two," I murmured as Hiccup finally caught Toothless.

Drago had fallen onto one of the Alpha's spines, and was now yelling furiously at him. The Alpha didn't even look hurt by his words. Just… emotionless. I desperately wanted to prove my theory that all dragons could be saved. But something told me that this Alpha was beyond that.

"Snow, do you trust me?" I asked when she flew closer towards the Alpha. I could already hear his angry thoughts as Toothless circled the island. The Vikings were cheering in triumph when they realized that Toothless was back.

'_Of course I do_,' she replied huffily.

"Good." When we were finally a couple of feet in front of the Alpha, I covered Snowfire's eyes with a cloth and covered her ears with my hand, and prayed that this would work. With a deep breath I reached out and touched the Alpha's face, careful to avoid Drago as he continued his ranting. "You don't have to follow Drago's orders. We can help you," I whispered in a reassuring tone.

The Alpha only growled in response, and Snowfire shook her head uneasily.

"You have to fight it, Snow," I warned her. "Please, just hear me out. I know that you can understand me. I know that you still have a soul. Drago can't take that away."

I was ready to say something else when I heard the Alpha's thoughts, loud and clear this time, '_I follow only my master_!' My heart sank at those words. '_And I control _you.'

Again the Alpha's words cut through me like a knife. His eyes were narrowed as he looked down right at me. And what happened next made me flinch.

I could feel him trying to control me. The Alpha was struggling to maintain his control until a plasma blast was suddenly fired at him. I heard Drago shouting in surprise and anger, than looked up to see Toothless flying upside down.

Hiccup had flown towards Drago using his flight suit. What he did next took Drago by surprise.

He pulled out _Inferno_ and sprayed Zippleback gas all over. Drago tried swatting him away with a hand but ended up missing. Hiccup then ignited the gas and created a massive explosion around the Alpha. Drago didn't have time to dodge the attack and ended up getting blasted down towards the ground.

Once his attack was finished, Hiccup narrowly missed getting smashed by the Alpha's head when Toothless caught him. I used the moment of distraction to throw my sword right at Drago. He had landed on the Alpha's tusk, and was only just getting up when my sword cut right across his other arm.

"That's for what you did to our dragons!" I yelled just as Snowfire fired at him. Drago was knocked off his feet once more and growled in fury. "And that's for everything else." Snowfire grunted in approval before flying towards the tusk, using her talons to trip him once again.

When she caught him she pried Drago off and threw him towards the ground. The impact was enough to send him rolling forward, right in front of Hiccup. Drago struggled to his feet and reached out for his bull hook, but Hiccup threw _Inferno_ right in front of his hand while it was still ignited.

Drago reeled back in pain, screaming as his hand was singed by the flame. I used the moment of distraction to charge after Drago, grabbing my sword that had landed on the ground and swinging it across his face once again.

"You _will_ pay for what you've done," I snapped when Drago tried blocking my blows. Hiccup managed to throw in a few kicks and punches before rolling to the side and grabbing _Inferno_ from the ground. Once he had his weapon again he wasted no time in attacking, slicing Drago's arm where I had already left a nice little cut.

"Hold him there, Toothless," Hiccup ordered once we had Drago pinned.

Toothless let out a warning growl as Drago threatened to charge again. He wasn't going to forget what Drago had done anytime soon. That much was true.

"It's _over_, now," I added as Hiccup tucked in his wings. Drago looked behind us and smirked when he saw something that we couldn't. Then I realized too late that I could see the Dark Alpha's shadow over us.

"Or is it?" he sneered triumphantly as the Bewilderbeast began to fire.

"Oh no," Hiccup muttered just as the Bewilderbeast fired it's ice.

What happened next was all a blur. I was expecting us to be frozen solid when Hiccup suddenly wrapped his arms around me protectively. And in that moment, Toothless and Snowfire had suddenly jumped in to rescue us.

For one brief moment all of Berk stood still as they watched on in horror. Drago laughed to himself as Valka landed on her Scuttleclaw and ran over to the ice. She then began banging her fists against it, desperate to break it.

"No! No…." she whispered. Astrid and Gobber watched on in horror when they realized what just happened. But as Valka continued hitting the ice, it began to glow.

"Get down!" Astrid cried when she realized what was about to happen.

Valka's eyes widened before she scurried away from the ice, and just in time too. It exploded from the amount of heat Snowfire was giving off. Her entire body was glowing like the moon, and standing next to her was Toothless, with an equally furious look on his face.

But that wasn't the only thing that had caught everyone's attention. Toothless' body was _glowing_. His scales were now black mixed with blue along the spines, stomach and mouth. Both Toothless and Snowfire turned to look at us, and for a moment I realized what they just did for us.

Both dragons leaped out of the ice and onto the ledge of an icy spear, roaring in defiance at the Bewilderbeast. I held my breath in amazement when I realized what they were doing.

"They're… challenging the Alpha!" Hiccup gasped in equal amazement.

"To protect _you_," Valka told us. Toothless suddenly began firing several plasma blasts at once, while Snowfire kept the Alpha in line by firing both ice and fire at the same time. I didn't even think that was physically possible.

"Is it possible for them to have that many blasts?" I asked as they relentlessly fired at the Alpha, dodging each of his blows.

"I honestly have never seen this," Hiccup admitted.

"Your dragons have reached a whole new level," Fishlegs said, sounding impressed.

Toothless and Snowfire had suddenly landed right beside us, commanding the other dragons under the Alpha's control to join us. Stormfly was the first one to break free of the Alpha's control. She flew down to Astrid soon after the other dragons had begun breaking free.

Upon seeing this, Drago began panicking. I hadn't missed the look on his face and smirked triumphantly.

_He knows he's going to lose_, I thought. _Maybe now he'll know that dragons aren't creatures to be controlled_.

"No!" Drago roared repeatedly. "Fight back!" He'd leaped onto the Bewilderbeast's tusk and tried hitting the poor dragon. For a moment I actually felt sorry for him. But then I remembered everything the Bewilderbeast had done to us. "What's the matter with you?"

Drago turned around in time to see that every dragon had turned on him, even the armored ones. And behind them were the Dragon Riders. Along with the two of us, and all of Berk. Hiccup exchanged a knowing look with me. I nodded in agreement before we both climbed onto our dragons' saddles.

"Now do you get it?" asked Hiccup as Toothless sat up, growling in defiance.

"This is what it means to earn a dragon's loyalty," I added for him.

"Let this end, now!" Drago only glared at us in response.

"Never!" he roared. He started swinging his bull hook again, shouting like a maniac. "Come on!"

The Bewilderbeast suddenly started charging forward. But at this point I wasn't even worried. Toothless and Snowfire had given a command to the other dragons, and all at once they started firing back. The Bewilderbeast was stopped in his tracks as more and more dragons joined in.

'_This is what it truly means to be a Rider_,' Snowfire hummed as Drago panicked again.

I looked around in amazement when I realized that the dragons had started their own version of a rebellion. Now they weren't afraid to fight back. They had not only numbers on their side, but people that actually cared about them.

Drago was forced into hiding behind the barrage of attacks fired by the dragons. "Fight! Blast them!" he screamed. But as he said those words, his prosthetic arm was suddenly fired off by one of his own armored dragons.

The Bewilderbeast suddenly reared back when he realized that this was a losing battle, roaring in fury. But Toothless and Snowfire had fired the most powerful blast yet. The blast hit the Bewilderbeast straight on the head, forcing him backward. As the smoke cleared, I could see that one of it's massive tusks were blasted clean off.

"The Alpha protects them all," Hiccup said once the Bewilderbeast had backed down.

Toothless and Snowfire had let out one final roar that sent the Bewilderbeast packing. I watched as it retreated back into the ocean with a massive splash, spraying water all over the island. Everyone cheered in victory when he was gone, along with Drago.

All of the dragons, Berks, Valka's and even Drago's landed around Toothless and Snowfire. Even Cloudjumper had approached both of them warily before bowing his head in respect. His example was soon followed by the other dragons.

It only just dawned on me what had happened. Snowfire and Toothless…. They had fought the Alpha. Which meant that they were both now Alphas. My eyes widened in shock at the realization.

They both roared loudly as they could, and other dragons began following. Once the other dragons had calmed down, they turned to face us. I hadn't realized until then that Hiccup was by my side.

"You never cease to amaze me, bud," Hiccup murmured as Toothless crooned happily.

'_He will no longer hurt us_,' Snowfire reassured me as I wrapped my arm around her.

"It's good to have you back," I whispered. Toothless suddenly warbled and licked Hiccup's face. I couldn't help but laugh when Hiccup squealed in surprise at Toothless' show of affection.

"Toothless, you know that doesn't come out!" he groaned. I noticed for a brief second that everyone was watching, and had laughed at the sight. Then all of the dragons began reuniting with their riders.

"Stormfly!" Astrid yelled as her Nadder flew down to her. I tried not to laugh when Gothi was tackled by a group of Terrible Terrors, one of them being Spikes.

"Oh, give me a cuddle, Grumpy!" Gobber shouted as Grump nearly crashed into him.

"Who's my little princess?" Fishlegs asked when he gave Meatlug a hug. Both he and Snotlout were too relieved to see their dragons to notice the look Ruffnut had given them. "I missed you so much!" he added.

"Don't you ever do that to me again," Snotlout scolded Hookfang before rubbing his head affectionately. I always knew he was just a softie.

It was fun watching their reunions. Because I knew how devastating it had been to lose them. Skullcrusher suddenly landed in front of us, and I realized with a heavy heart that he couldn't be reunited with his rider.

"Hey bud," I murmured sympathetically when Skullcrusher nuzzled me curiously. I rubbed his horn affectionately when Eret approached us.

"That was some pretty fine dragon wrangling back there," Eret told us. "You'd make pretty good dragon trappers."

Before either of us could respond, Skullcrusher suddenly turned to Eret and crooned softly. Eret chuckled and rubbed him happily. I couldn't help but smile at the sight, and an idea suddenly occurred to me. I gave Hiccup one look and he already seemed to know what I was thinking.

"You know, Skullcrusher is going to need someone to take care of him, now," Hiccup said.

"Me?" Eret asked in disbelief. Hiccup nodded reassuringly, and Eret considered his offer for only a brief second. "I'd be honored."

'_Another Rider is born_,' Snowfire hummed in amusement, making Eret jump in surprise.

"Yeah, she tends to do that a lot," I laughed at his reaction when he realized it was Snowfire herself who spoke. I hadn't noticed that Valka was walking towards us.

"Your father…. He'd be every bit as proud of you as I am," she said soothingly.

"Thank you," Hiccup said in surprise. "I'm really glad you're here, mom."

"And here I'll stay."

"See?" I asked when everyone walked over to join us. "I told you it was in here." I couldn't resist poking the dorsal fin bottom, popping it open. I had to laugh at the face Hiccup made as he rolled his eyes.

"Ha ha. Still doing that one? That's hilarious," he said before pulling me towards him. "Come here you."

I felt my heart flutter with happiness when he kissed me.

"Ooh," Gobber muttered when he noticed a couple of kids were watching. He blocked their eyes with his hand until we pulled apart.

Gothi suddenly tapped on Hiccup's shoulder with her staff, cutting our moment short. She then gestured for Hiccup to kneel, to which he did, respectfully. I watched with interest as she gestured to Gobber, who joined us shortly after.

"Do you, Hiccup, take the mantle of leadership like your forefathers before?" Gobber asked, reading what Gothi had written down for him

"I do," Hiccup replied with confidence.

"And do you vow to protect this village, and perform your duties to the best of your abilities?"

"I do," Hiccup repeated.

Gothi used ash from a heap of wreckage and drew a marking on Hiccup's forehead. It reminded me a bit of the symbol you receive during Ash Wednesday. Only that symbol had a completely different meaning to someone like me.

"Then rise, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, the new Chief of Berk," Gobber told him. Hiccup stood up proudly as everyone fell silent. "The Chief has come home!"

At that point everyone began cheering, including me. I couldn't be prouder for Hiccup. He had proven himself wrong. Toothless and Snowfire even cheered by throwing their heads up and firing into the air, along with the other dragons.

A new dawn had risen over Berk. And I suddenly realized that our lives were full of more responsibilities then I could have hoped for.

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><p><strong>AN: Well, technically this isn't the last chapter for the second movie :) I've still got one more chapter left before I'm finished with that. Then, I'm going to work on my own minnie series. It will probably be about ten or fifteen chapters long depending on the plot. And after that, I might just work one one-shots. I'm not entirely sure. But anywho, that song I used is absolutely beautiful. And I'd say fitting for Stoick :') If you've never heard it than I highly recommend it.<strong>

**Sil - This is where someone like Hawkeye would come in handy ;) And he NEVER misses. So... yeah :P You can tell who my favorite Avenger is XD**

**FallenArchAngel16 - I know, a lot has been happening lately. They all are gonna need break after this ;)**

**Layla347 - Yeah, this chapter was probably the most intense yet. Right alongside the battle of the Red Death!**

**Roxygirl - Exactly! I'm glad you understand ;) And I love Imagine Dragons! I have all of their albums, and already preordered Smoke & Mirrors. The other group I never heard of though... I'd have to say my favorite is either the Newsboys or For KING and COUNTRY though. I'm a huge fan of Christian music :)**

**69759 - I like your new avatar :) And thanks, I'm definitely proud of that. It's probably the longest story I've ever worked on. And I'm not planning on ending it anytime soon.**

**GuardianDragon98 - Thank you! And no problem, I'm more than happy to support your stories... and maybe I should start doing that for my other readers. Post a story of the week sort of thing at the bottom of each chapter :) I actually really like the idea of your OC being with Eret. It made for quite the plot twist when she saw him again in the second movie!**

**Nightfire260 - Yep, I do plan on continuing! I'm planning a multi-chapter story after this, but it may not be as long as my previous chapters...**


	48. It's Not Over Yet

**Chapter Forty Eight**

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><p>"<em>Oh, to everyone who's hit their limit, It's not over yet, It's not over ye-et, And even when you think you're finished, It's not over yet, It's not over ye-et Keep on fighting, Out of the dark, Into the light, It's not over, Hope is rising Never give in, Never give up, It's not over...<em>" It's Not Over Yet, for KING and COUNTRY

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><p>It was late in the afternoon when a sheep was found grazing on the grass lazily. A Terrible Terror was desperately trying to pick it up, only to fall back down. Then suddenly, the sheep was taken away from the ground along with the dragon.<p>

The dragon in question was a Hideous Zippleback named Barf and Belch. Ruffnut and Tuffnut tried fighting over the sheep while riding their dragon. Ruffnut suddenly sent the sheep flying towards Fishlegs. But Snotlout ended up catching it instead, blowing a kiss in their direction mockingly.

They swooped past a crowd on the bleachers as Snotlout dropped his sheep into his basket. Eret sat in the background, watching the entire scene with Skullcrusher close behind him. That was when he suddenly decided to join in on the race, just as Astrid had Stormfly playfully ruffle his hair as she swooped past.

I had to admit, I was _not_ expecting those two to get along so well. In fact, Astrid had even admitted that she kind of liked Eret. Maybe even more than just as a friend. That notion alone made me wonder if the two would ever get together.

I shook my head at the thought and returned my attention back to the statue. A group of Vikings had been gathered to build a statue right next to the Great Hall. Together, Hiccup and I decided that Stoick needed a statue built in his honor. And what better place than right beside the Great Hall? Honestly I actually loved the idea. And the Vikings themselves were working quickly to finish their work.

Meanwhile Hiccup himself was fixing up a roof that had shingles torn off during Drago's attack. Toothless hovered nearby and helped him put on the last shingle, while the other Vikings used a rope and levy system to raise them up.

Valka had already made herself at home when everything was said and done. She had offered Gobber some help to remove the armor Drago had placed on his dragons. Once the armor was removed I would check to make sure they didn't suffer any wounds during the fight.

For the most part most of his dragons seemed to be fine. A little shaken and still on edge, but fine. I had a feeling it would take them a while to realize that they were finally free. They were mostly just happy to be rid of their restricting armor.

Once I was sure the statue was fine, I hopped onto Snowfire's saddle and we took off to join the race. This was the first time I had ever participated in them. Any other time there was a race we would have flown off. I'm not even sure what compelled me to join in. But it was good to have fun every once in a while.

I watched with amusement as Gobber pulled down the lever on the catapult and launched the black sheep.

"Come on Snow, we've got this!" I called as Snowfire closed in, zooming past Hookfang and Skullcrusher.

'_Of course we do_,' Snowfire hummed just as she extended her talons. The black sheep hovered in the air for a few precious seconds when suddenly a pair of black talons grabbed it. Toothless suddenly looked down and gave me his famous 'toothless' grin.

"Show off," I laughed at the sight as they dove down towards the line of baskets. As they approached, Toothless bounced Hiccup into the air, allowing him to dunk the black sheep into my basket. They reunited seconds later, and the crowd cheered in delight at the sight.

Snowfire landed next to the Chief's dais, and Toothless landed shortly after, followed by the other Riders. Toothless let out a proud roar, and for a moment, I realized just how lucky we really were.

Here on Berk we had something that other people could only dream of. Sure they had horses and armies to boast about. But we had something far better that would make them tremble in fear and awe.

People may say that we're crazy for staying on our little island. But I'd say they're even crazier for suggesting that we leave. I wouldn't change this place for the world. And if they have anything to say to that, than I'd just show them what we're capable of.

We have our dragons, and that's all I could ever ask for.

Of course this wasn't the end. I knew that there were still many adventures to look forward to. For now it was nice to actually relax and enjoy our victory.

...

Somewhere far away, the roar of a dragon echoed through a ravine. No one knew of this place or the mysterious fog that constantly surrounded the large island. But one man had found this island and claimed it as his own, after taking control of the dragons.

Unlike Drago he didn't need an Alpha to control them. They were drawn here by a mysterious power. He had only just begun understanding what this power did to them. And he was forming another army. Soon he would show the world what he was capable of. What kind of monster he truly was.

"Sir!" He turned in time to see one of the few warriors on the island approach him warily. "We've found something in the ocean…." He paused as the man glowered at him before grabbing him by the throat.

"What did you find?" he demanded.

"You aren't gonna like it," the warrior choked out when he finally released his grip. The man in question grinned maliciously as he was led towards the cove. It wasn't far from where they had been, maybe about a few feet.

A few dragons had flown out of his way when they were sunning themselves in what little light they got. This place didn't get too much sunlight, and the dragons weren't entirely fond of that. But they were compelled to stay. Not just because of his orders, but because of something else that had drawn them here.

He let out a sinister chuckle when they had reached the beach. Sure enough the dragons were circling an object in the sand. He leaned forward and picked it up, smirking at the familiar object. It was something he had seen from the old, yet new world. Something he had not seen for years.

"It appears as though you've found what I have been looking for," he said with a wicked grin. The few warriors behind him shivered with unease when they realized what that meant.

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><p><strong>AN: So this could be considered both an epilogue and a prologue. Because this marks the beginning of a new adventure. And I'm sure that if you've been following the stories, most readers will already know who this mysterious figure is ;)<strong>

**GuardianDragon98 - It wasn't exactly my best ending XD But I found a way to continue my series :P And thanks, I really appreciate that :)**

**Layla347 - Thank you!**

**Reader103 - Thank you! XD**

**69759 - I'll try what I can :P It's amazing what the imagination can bring, especially when it comes to mine XD I've got a lot planned in the future... And wow, that is a long plot. I've never heard of that story!**

**Sil - Glad I'm not the only one who thinks so ;) Everyone else thinks he's lame because he has no superpowers. But I just like him for his archery skills :D And I hope this was worth the wait :D**

**Nightfire260 - Thank you, and it might take a little longer to post new chapters. And they might be shorter. But I will continue nonetheless.**

**roxygirl - Trust me, you're not the only one :) There are lots of Christian fans out there, you just have to look in the right places. And wow, I listen to them a lot but not that much XD And yes, another for KING and COUNTRY fan! I get to see them this week at Winterjam, so excited!**

**thetasigma - Thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying it! And yep, unfortunately because of her abilities it could have controlled her. I'll definitely be using that in the future plots to come ;)**


	49. Part 4: Disappearing Act

**Chapter Forty Nine**

Life on Berk has become a lot more stable since Drago Bludvist was taken down. As the new Chief of Berk, Hiccup was busier than ever now. And after having decided to help Valka with the dragons, I've also been busier than usual. It was good to see that they were finally free of Drago's control. And they seemed happier than ever with their new found freedom.

The only trouble was finding space for them. Since the Dragon Sanctuary had been destroyed, there really wasn't anywhere else for them to go. After looking into building extra stables for them, Hiccup and I both realized that there wasn't room in the caves.

Which unfortunately led us to our latest problem. Hiccup was struggling between acting as Berk's newest Chief to keeping the dragons from causing destruction. Which was easier said than done for someone who had only just gotten used to his new position.

"I mean, it's possible that we could have them living in the forests and mountains beyond the village," Hiccup stated as we entered the Great Hall. By now I had gotten used to the extra attention he was receiving. It was kind of unnerving considering half of the village had ignored him before he became Chief.

"Yeah, but that depends on whether or not they'd be happy living away from humans," I pointed out halfheartedly. Some of the dragons were still flighty around humans. Whereas others were totally dependent on us. "Not to mention we have some of Drago's former dragons who still rely on us for food and shelter," I added.

"'Mornin' Chief!" A few villagers had already stopped by to greet us, much to my surprise.

"Has anyone seen Fanghook anywhere?" Gustav.

Somehow it didn't surprise me that he was the first to run over to us. At fifteen he was the youngest of the Dragon Riders, and had only been flying for the past five years now. His dragon was a Monstrous Nightmare he had somehow found in the woods and 'trained'. It took a bit of convincing on Hiccup and Stoick's part for Gustav to continue his training after they discovered Fanghook was still with him. An agreement was eventually made that Gustav couldn't ride Fanghook until he was of proper age, but he did have to take care of his new dragon friend.

"Not since last night," I replied after giving it some thought. The Monstrous Nightmare usually hid in the woods. I hadn't seen him or thought about him much until now. "It's not like him to just run off on you."

"Yeah, that's what I thought!" Gustav looked between Hiccup and me before we both sighed in annoyance.

"You want us to look for your dragon, right?" Hiccup asked after giving it some thought. Gustav gave us a pleading look.

"Come on, I'm sure he's around here somewhere," I pointed out.

Hiccup nodded in agreement and glanced back at Gustav, whose looked like he was ready to follow us. "You stay here in case he decides to show up," Hiccup told him.

For a moment Gustav looked disappointed, but the look disappeared so quickly that I wasn't even sure it happened. With a roll of my eyes I followed Hiccup out of the Great Hall once more to see more people starting to head over in our direction.

"Something tells me that Gustav isn't the only one missing someone," I muttered under my breath. And sure enough we were bombarded with questions when they approached us.

"Where's my Nadder? I was just playin' with her when she just disappeared!" someone shouted.

"My poor Gronckle went missing in the middle of the night," someone else added.

"Everyone calm down!" Hiccup suddenly shouted above the constant stream of questions. To my surprise almost everyone fell silent. Wow, never I thought the day would come when everyone actually listened.

And of course Hiccup's mom would choose that moment to fly down on Cloud Jumper to see what was going on. It wasn't long before she was joined by Eret on Skullcrusher, and Astrid on Stormfly.

"What's going on?" Astrid asked.

Fortunately Hiccup was given a chance to explain the situation rather quickly. I glanced around warily as I noticed that there were fewer dragons around the plaza. A few Terrible Terrors were having a flying contest of some sort near the well, while a Deadly Nadder sunned itself nearby. Usually the plaza was bustling with dragons.

"I really hope this isn't another Snoggletog incident," I finally spoke up for the first time.

Last time everyone had been devastated when their dragons disappeared. But it turned out that they had only flown away to lay their eggs. Snoggletog happened to fall around the same time when dragons started leaving.

"Or worse, another Bewilderbeast," Eret suddenly murmured.

All of us shuddered at the thought. The Bewilderbeast was a rare dragon, and so far I'd only seen two in my time here on Berk. And to make matters worse that Bewilderbeast had been controlled by Drago Bludvist. The second one had sadly been killed by the one controlled by Drago.

"No, I'd be able to sense if there was another one around," I reminded him.

Eret only looked at me in confusion when Astrid folded her arms and mouthed that she would explain later. I still hadn't told him that I could bond with dragons without having to train them. It was still an ability that I was only just learning about.

"Well, they must be around here somewhere," Valka reassured everyone.

"We need to take patrols and search the island; if anyone sees them we'll regroup at the cove," Hiccup told them. "Gather the others and tell them what's going on," he added to Astrid and Eret.

The two wasted no time in taking off to find Snotlout, the twins and Fishlegs. Once everyone was rounded we split up in different groups. I flew with Hiccup and Valka, while Eret flew with Astrid and Fishlegs, and Snotlout flew with the twins. Something told me we should have placed the twins with Astrid. But it was too late for regrets now.

"Hey Snow, any ideas why the other dragons are disappearing?" I asked as flew circles around the island.

'_Perhaps they do not like the new dragons_,' she suggested with a hum of amusement.

"You know, she may be on to something there," Hiccup stated as we flew together.

"Dragons are known to be territorial to newcomers," Valka explained while Cloudjumper easily kept up.

"But wouldn't Toothless and Snowfire be able to prevent them from fighting?" I asked curiously. Toothless warbled when I said his name, looking more than happy to be reminded of his new position as Alpha.

"I am afraid that when it comes to territorial disputes, it may be different," Valka replied with a shake of her head.

I nodded thoughtfully at her words before glancing up ahead. Soon enough I spotted the twins flying around with Barf and Belch, shouting in delight as they saw something down below. Hiccup rolled his eyes in annoyance, and Toothless flew faster to catch up with the Zippleback as they circled the forest.

"What are you two doing?" Hiccup asked when the twins finally stopped their antics.

"Uh, nothing," Tuffnut replied.

"Yeah, we weren't watching that dragon burn down the forest," Ruffnut added.

"What dragon?" Before anyone could answer, a stream of fire was thrown in our direction. Snowfire and Toothless swerved to the left, while Ruffnut and Tuffnut flew with Valka

_'_That_ dragon_,' Snowfire sniffed, pointing towards the scorched patch of forest.

Our dragons quickly blew away the smoke to reveal a small looking dragon circling around the clearing. My eyes narrowed as I tried to get a good view of it. The little creature reminded me a lot of when we first found Torch in the forest.

"What is it?" Valka quickly raised her staff in front of Barf and Belch, before the twins could fly down and greet it.

"That dragon is one I haven't seen in years," she explained. "Treat them with caution; they tend to be more territorial than White Terrors."

"And that's saying something," I muttered under my breath. Snowfire only rolled her eyes in response and flew down to the clearing cautiously.

The moment her talons touched the ground, the dragon reacted immediately. It let out a loud squawking sound that made us all cover our ears.

'_Stop that racket at once_!' Snowfire's shout had caused the dragon to stop almost at once.

I held back a sigh of relief when silence followed. When I managed to get a closer look at the dragon, my heart nearly skipped a beat. The dragon was a mixture of colors, changing from red, blue, to a bluish green. What really surprised me though was it's size.

The dragon was about the size of a Terrible Terror. But it's wings were almost as long as Torch's had been. It had an almost beak-like snout that reminded me of a parrot.

"What kind of dragon is that?" Hiccup asked when Toothless and Cloudjumper landed nearby. Both dragons looked on in concern while the riders approached cautiously.

"They're scavengers," Valka explained as the dragon sniffed the ground warily. "Small little dragons that have a nasty habit of following humans." I tilted my head to one side, trying to figure out why this dragon would have ended up on Berk of all places.

"I wonder if Drago had an unexpected follower," I murmured as I knelt down to observe it.

It wouldn't surprise me, but it also left me wondering just how many other dragons Drago had been hiding. The idea that he was able to control so many dragons made my fists clench with anger.

"Does it have a name?" I looked up in surprise to see that Tuffnut and Ruffnut were still with us. I'd almost forgotten that they were.

"It kind of reminds me of a parrot," I couldn't help but say out loud as the dragon squawked and unfolded it's wings in front of us. It's eyes were narrowed as it bowed it's head and prepared to fire.

All of us dodged out of the way when it spat fire in our direction. Parrots definitely didn't do that. I narrowed my eyes when the little dragon suddenly fled deeper into the forest.

"Anyone up for a game of chase?" Ruffnut asked with a grin.

"Don't," Valka stopped them from going any further once more. "Giving chase will only anger it. That is the last thing we need."

I folded my arms and rolled my eyes when I realized that she was probably right. Berk was only just recovering from Drago's attack. Hiccup had worked his ass off to bring it back to what it was now.

"What do we do now?" Hiccup's shoulders rolled in annoyance. If this dragon was anything like Valka had said, than maybe it was a good thing that it was leaving. But something told me that it wasn't ready to leave anytime soon.

"We keep looking for the other dragons," I reminded him. "Something tells me their disappearance might be linked with this dragon."

The others, minus Ruffnut and Tuffnut, nodded in agreement. If anything had happened to the dragons, I would never forgive who did this to them. I just hoped and prayed that we did find them before something happened.

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><p><strong>AN: Man, I'm sorry it's been too long since my last update. Life's been kind of crazy and I started a new story so... yeah. Again, I'm sorry. But the dragon that was mentioned is very similar to a parrot ;) Another creation of mine.<strong>

**69759 - lol, I love confusing people XD**

**Layla347 - You're right about it being from her world :) But I won't be giving anything else away if you haven't read the older chapters!**

**Sil - That's awesome and convenient! Wish I had something like that :P**

**Roxygirl - Hehe, I am very lucky. And I get to go to CreationFest for the first time this year! I'm super excited for it :D Of course I had to make that kind of ending :P I just adds on to the suspense!**

**thetasigma - Technically it wasn't a phone, but you were close ;) And thanks, glad you're enjoying it so far!**


	50. Confessions At Last

**Chapter Fifty**

"Do you really think that you can escape me?"

"I am everywhere. You can't fix what's been broken!"

My hands were shaking when I heard that voice. It was eerily familiar, and left me feeling rattled. I tried forgetting that voice so many times. But every time I did, it kept coming back to haunt me. And at the worst possible time too.

"Alex! Alex!"

I jumped at the sound of Hiccup's voice. Glancing around I realized that we were back at his house. It took a few seconds for me to register that it was night. And somehow I wound up falling asleep here.

"Wha—" I rubbed the back of my head when I realized that Hiccup's arms were wrapped around me in concern.

"You were uh, kind of screaming in your sleep," he explained after making sure that I was okay.

"Oh, wonderful," I muttered when I realized that he must have heard everything. Suddenly I remembered how I'd ended up here. We'd spent the rest of the afternoon looking for the last dragons. Unfortunately our search had been unsuccessful, and we were forced to turn around when it got dark out. But by the time we got back I was ready to pass out. I must have fallen asleep before I could reach my place. "You… didn't happen to hear anything, did you?" I suddenly asked warily.

Hiccup's expression was grim, telling me everything I needed to know.

"It was about your father, wasn't it?" he asked as he sat down beside me. I sat up and stared at the wooden floor, unable to comprehend what was now happening.

There was still so much about my father that Hiccup didn't know. He wasn't meant to know, that much I knew. But each time I had those nightmares he only got more worried than ever. I knew I couldn't hide the truth much longer.

"I really don't want to talk about it," I murmured halfheartedly. Guilt stabbed at me when I said that. I should be able to trust Hiccup enough to share my past with him. But part of me was desperate to keep that secret hidden, even to the grave.

"Is everything alright?" Valka's voice sounded from upstairs, making us both jump a little.

I tried not to smirk when she joined us shortly after. This was one of the few moments that I'd seen her with her hair down. Normally it was tied up in a braided ponytail, kind of like how Astrid had changed her hair.

"You still don't want to talk about him, after all these years?" Hiccup raised an eyebrow when he looked at me again, this time with a serious expression. This time I looked away. I knew that if I looked him in the eye I'd break down right than and there.

"Hiccup, why don't you give us a moment?" Valka suggested in a gentle voice. I glanced at her warily as Hiccup kept looking between me and his mom. Luckily he didn't argue and left the room in awkward silence. I wasn't even sure where Toothless was at the moment, or Snowfire for that matter. "Would you like to talk about it?" Valka sat down this time next to me, and finally I looked her in the eye.

"I'm…. I'm afraid of what he might think if I told him the truth," I admitted guiltily.

Valka nodded in understanding as I went on, telling her a bit of what I had already told Hiccup and Stoick. Reliving those memories weren't exactly the best moments I'd had. Her eyes went wide when I told her what he'd really done to me. Something that I hadn't told anyone. Not even my own mother.

"Now I understand why you're afraid to tell him," Valka sighed when I was finally finished.

Despite the painful memories it brought back, I actually did feel like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. I blinked and suddenly realized that I was actually crying. Before I could wipe away the tears, Valka suddenly wrapped her arms around me in a hug.

"My mom was so happy; I couldn't tell her what he did." I felt my heart sink even lower when I sobbed. This was the last thing I expected to happen. "I was so terrified of him!"

"I cannot imagine that anyone could act so cruelly, especially to a child," Valka whispered as she rubbed her hand gently on my shoulder.

I hadn't even noticed that we weren't alone any longer. Another pair of arms suddenly wrapped themselves around me in a hug. My eyes widened in disbelief when I saw Hiccup sitting on my other side, eyes dark with shock and sympathy.

"Hiccup, I…." I choked out the words when I found I couldn't speak.

"It's okay," he reassured me once our little group had broken apart. "If I had known what your father did to you I…. I'm not even sure what I would do." I didn't miss the anger in his voice when he mentioned my father. And it made me feel even guiltier.

I never expected to find myself in this situation. But again I felt relief wash over me when I realized what I'd confessed. All those days living with what he did to me added up to this. There was even a time when I thought I couldn't live with myself for what he did to me.

"I just can't help but feel as though he's here, in this world," I suddenly murmured; my voice still sounded shaky as I looked at them again. "Maybe somehow it's all connected."

Valka raised an eyebrow in confusion before I explained yet again how I'd ended up in this world. I'd only given her a little bit of information as to where I came from. But I hadn't really explained that I was from another world. Or that I'd left everyone from my world behind.

"That makes things a bit complicated," Valka sighed when I finally finished. "And you know about this?" She turned to Hiccup as he smiled and nodded. Hard to believe that he once thought I was crazy for being from another world.

"When we first met she told me," he explained sheepishly.

"Guys, we have a problem!" Before Valka could say anything else, Fishlegs came bursting through the door, gasping for air. "Gobber went missing this morning."

My eyes widened in alarm at that. But Gobber _never_ went missing. He knew this island like the back of his hand. I knew for a fact that he wasn't lost. Something else must have happened. And I suddenly wondered if it was connected with the missing dragons.

"We have to find him," Hiccup said with a look of determination.

"We will," Valka reassured him. "If we send out search parties I'm certain we'll find him."

I bit the bottom of my lip as we left the house. Something told me that she wasn't right. I hated to admit that something horrible might have happened to Gobber. He was like family to me, and Hiccup for that matter.

'_His scent is faint, but I can detect it_,' Snowfire announced when I found her waiting outside.

"Good, we'll need a tracking dragon in this case," I replied before gesturing to Hiccup. He nodded and told Fishlegs to find Eret. As the rider of Skullcrusher, he would be useful in this situation.

As Fishlegs sauntered off to find Eret, Toothless warbled in concern and nudged Hiccup's arm. He knew that something was up the moment we left the house. Dragons had an amazing connection with our emotions. I'd noticed that right away when I first met Snowfire.

Once Fishlegs returned with both Eret, Hiccup explained the situation we were in. I tried not to smirk when I noticed that Astrid was with him. The two of them had become good friends fast after the battle with Drago. It was hard to miss that little detail.

"Right, we'll find Gobber in no time," Eret reassured us as Cloudjumper flew down to greet us. Valka rubbed his chin with a worried look as she got ready to take off. But Hiccup surprised us all by stopping her.

"Mom, maybe you should stay here and keep an eye on things," Hiccup told her. "We can't afford to lose anyone else."

Valka looked like she was ready to argue when she thought better of it. I had a feeling there was more to Hiccup's sudden decision than he was letting on. Clearly he was afraid that his mother would disappear next. the thought made me feel even guiltier than before.

I really wish I knew what had happened to Gobber. But until we found out where or when he disappeared, we wouldn't know the whole story. What bothered me the most was knowing that he might be hurt. And no one was around to help this time.

Eret took off once Skullcrusher found Gobber's scent. All of us aside from Valka and Fishlegs followed. I was surprised that Astrid had joined us on Stormfly. The two of them seemed perfectly happy flying alongside Eret. Judging by the look on Hiccup's face, he'd noticed how close they had gotten as well.

"So, you two seem to be getting along well," I said as Snowfire flew in beside Stormfly. The Nadder squawked at Snowfire's presence, but fortunately Stormfly kept flying straight.

"Yeah…. Eret's not bad once you get to know him," Astrid admitted, sounding a bit more sheepish than anything else.

'_It sounds as though he is more than just a friend_,' Snowfire hummed in amusement when Astrid glared at her.

"We're_ just_ friends," replied Astrid in a firm tone. "Besides, I'm not in any hurry to get in any relationships."

And yet I could still hear the longing in her voice. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and looked on ahead. I had a feeling that it wouldn't be long before Astrid caved in. The two of them were made for each other. And I still felt bad for getting between her and Hiccup.

"Look, I see tracks on the beach!" Eret suddenly pointed down to one of the beaches, and my eyes narrowed as I realized that he was right.

Immediately our dragons flew carefully down to the beach. We made sure that they didn't blow away the tracks. As we got closer I recognized the pattern that belonged to none other than Gobber. A foot and what looked like a peg leg print.

"That's weird," said Hiccup as we got off our dragons to get a closer look. "It looks like the tracks just… disappear."

"You're right," I replied with a nod of agreement. "But why would they just disappear? Fishlegs said that Grump is still in the forge."

Hiccup glanced at me worriedly when we realized what this might mean.

"You can't possible believe that a dragon carried him off, can you?" asked Astrid. Her eyes widened with sudden fear when we both nodded. It was a possibility.

"What amazes me is that there aren't dragon prints," I said after checking to make sure.

It was a puzzling sight. What bothered me more than anything was that I hadn't sensed the dragons' presence. Surely I would've felt something?

"Whatever happened to him, he's gone now," Eret sighed as he stood up.

"The real question is, where _could_ he have gone?" asked Hiccup.

I had a feeling that only time would tell where Gobber was now. And something told me that his disappearance had something to do with the disappearing dragons.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Shorter chapter, I know. But it had to end this way. And you also get to sort of find out what Alex's father did to her... though I wasn't entirely honest with her story. I might have to change the rating if I do... :P And so the chain of events begins... We shall see where this goes next. Anywho, onto review replies!<br>**

**Sil - Thanks, and yeah, me too :P**

**69759 - Wow, that looks pretty good so far. Though if you're looking into having someone else look into your work, than I recommend asking for a Beta reader. They're a big help if you want someone to proofread your story and make sure there aren't any grammatical mistakes. I'd become a Beta myself, but I barely have enough time as it is...**

**Layla347 - Thank you!**

**Roxygirl - I am very lucky :P Although I'd say waiting outside is probably the worst part of it. It was pretty darn cold outside, and bystanders kept looking at us like we were crazy XD And that's great, I keep picturing Snowfire too, especially in the movies ^^**


	51. Captured

**Chapter Fifty One**

The village never really did get over the fact that Gobber was missing. For the first few days everything seemed normal. But then people began to notice. Valka had taken over his job as the dragon dentist, with me helping whatever wounds needed healing. Hiccup was distracting himself by helping out in the village where ever it was needed. All in all, life could be better, but we were still moving on.

That was until the day I noticed the parrot-like dragon again. It was perched on a tree branch, staring down at me with beady black eyes. My eyes narrowed almost at once as the dragon continued staring, until suddenly it squawked and flew down. It took me a few seconds to realize that it's wings had claws on each end. The dragon was dragging itself towards me.

"Hey little guy, are you lost?" I asked as I leaned down. I suddenly remembered what Valka had said about them. These dragons were potentially dangerous. They were scavengers through and through. But seeing the dragon now made me wonder if she knew everything about them.

The dragon suddenly squawked again and unfolded it's wings. I was ready to turn back when I noticed something on the ground in front of it. Glancing at the dragon in confusion, I leaned down to see what it was. And almost at once I regretted that.

My iPod. Still intact, and to my surprise, still working. My eyes narrowed in confusion as I picked it up. When I looked back I realized that the dragon was gone.

"This day just keeps getting weirder and weirder," I muttered crossly.

What bothered me the most was that the dragon had somehow found my iPod. I could have sworn that I threw it into the ocean. Surely that would've destroyed it. But of course logic was working against me, and somehow it managed to survive after all these years.

With a sigh of frustration, I made my way back to the village. With everything that's been happening, it was better not to stay out alone for too long. Besides, the last thing I needed was for someone to actually worry about me.

That was when everything went wrong.

The dragon from earlier had suddenly returned, squawking as loudly as it could. Without another thought I reached for my sword, ready for anyone who might try and attack. The dragon hopped onto one branch and stared down at me with beady black eyes.

And of course someone chose that moment to strike down on my shoulder. The same area where my father had left that scar. I held back a cry of pain as my legs gave out.

"Leave me alone!" I shouted as I rammed my elbow into whoever was attacking. I heard someone cry in response, but they moved too quickly for me to make sense of what was happening. This was one of those moments I wished Snowfire was with me.

"You're comin' with us, brat," one of the men (I wasn't sure if there was more than one), sneered before grabbing my shoulder once more.

Black spots started clouding my vision as he dug his fingers into my shoulder, and I could barely move as a result.

"This one's a fighter," another voice spoke up. My vision was still hazy as I felt someone drag me away. The dragon that had been watching was gone now. I had a feeling that it was working for these people. Or maybe it was the other way around.

"Where are you taking me?" I demanded as I struggled against my restraints. Ropes were tied around my wrists. Of course they would be smart enough to do that.

"Just a little further," the first speaker grunted. "You'll find out soon enough."

With that being said, I dug my feet into the ground just to make their trip harder. The men cursed under their breath and hoisted me up by the collar of my shirt. I couldn't help but wince at the pain that followed.

"Quit your strugglin'; do you really want the entire village to find you like this?" I glared in response, hating the fact that they were right.

I didn't want Hiccup or the others risking their lives. Something told me that there was more to this than meets the eye.

Snowfire, I suddenly wished that she was here. At least with her I could easily take these men on. I wasn't exactly the best swordsmen in the world. And these men were obviously used to being around dragons. But I doubted they ever met anyone like Snowfire.

As if my silent begging had been answered, a roar of fury swept through the forest. The men suddenly halted in their tracks, muttering in alarm. Slowly I could feel strength returning to my shoulders as the men loosened their grip.

'_You will _not_ take my rider_!' Relief washed over me when I saw Snowfire charging after the two men. They let out cries of shock before turning to flee, but Snowfire was faster. With one quick leap she let loose a wall of fire on them both.

"Thank you," I whispered as she turned to face me this time. "I shouldn't have been out here on my own." Snowfire only rolled her eyes and rested her snout gently in my hands. Even if they were still bound together I could stand like this for hours.

Snowfire truly was my best friend. Without her I probably wouldn't have survived my first few days in this world.

'_What were you doing out here_?' she asked curiously.

"I-I needed time to think," I explained shakily. "Besides, these forests are usually safe. I just… wasn't expecting them to show up."

'_They could have killed you, or worse_,' she suddenly scolded me. Now it was my turn to roll my eyes.

"And what fate could be worse than death?" I asked, my voice dropping to a whisper. But I already knew the answer to that. And Snowfire seemed to know as well. Her eyes locked with mine, and for a moment I couldn't speak.

But that was the moment everything went from bad to worse. The forest had been deathly silent, until I realized too late that we weren't alone. All at once chaos ensued as a net was fired at us both. Snowfire easily dodged hers, but I was too stunned to move.

'_We must leave this place, at once_!' Snowfire roared as she managed to pry off the net.

"You don't have to tell me twice!" I gasped before hopping onto her saddle. Snowfire was quick to take off, leaving a trail of dust where we once were. The men continued firing nets as we flew further away from the forest. I wasn't leading them to the village. We had to get them away, or we would put everyone in danger. "We have to get them towards the beach," I shouted over the roar of the wind.

She hummed in agreement and flew towards the nearest beach. The faster we flew the more I realized how risky this was. It was already windy, and I could see a storm brewing in the distance.

'_We are not alone_,' Snowfire warned me. I followed where she was pointing at and realized that she was right. A large ship was anchored near the beach. It was twice the size of the ships on Berk. And I noticed with a sudden chill that the sails were black.

"No markings; it isn't one of ours," I muttered, mostly to myself. "Pull up, I don't want them to see us."

'_A white dragon with her rider are not enough_?' Snowfire's retort made me roll my eyes once again. She did have a point there. But if we flew high enough she could blend in with the clouds, like our first journey to Berk.

"Just do it!" I ordered. Snowfire only huffed in annoyance before doing as she was told.

As she did so I could barely see a thing down below. The air around us had suddenly gotten colder. Snowfire was doing her best to keep the temperature above freezing. But I could see that even that wasn't going to be enough.

'_Little one, this is too dangerous_.' I tried to shake off the uneasy feeling when she said that. Whoever was on that ship had already seen us. I could make out arrows being fired from down below. Of course their attacks were pointless. But I knew that Snowfire was right; we couldn't stay up here for too long. The storm was getting worse.

"Alright, let's see if it's safe," I murmured when the wind picked up. It was getting too cold. Goosebumps started forming on my arms, and it wasn't just from the cold.

Snowfire did as she was told once again and flew down. The moment she did was when they started firing again. I felt my heart nearly skip a beat when an arrow whizzed right past my hair. Snowfire let out a hiss of frustration as she tried dodging the arrows. One had already managed to pierce her wing, and I couldn't help but wince at the sight.

'_I cannot keep this up_,' she groaned as the arrows kept coming.

"Easy girl." My voice broke to a frantic whisper when I realized that she was badly hurt. "We'll get out of this, somehow."

The further Snowfire went, the worse I felt. I was already getting dizzy when she started spiraling in the air. I tried holding on to the saddle for dear life when another arrow fired all too close. With that final shot came something far more horrifying.

I was falling. The pain from that arrow was too much, and I was falling. Snowfire let out a frantic roar as she tried catching me. Her wings were already badly damaged from the arrows. By the time I was caught by the men on board the ship, Snowfire had already crashed into the ocean.

"Welcome aboard lass." The moment I felt my feet touch solid ground, I punched whoever was closest to me right in the nose, ignoring the pain that fired within my hand.

"Bastards! Asshole bastards!" I screamed as someone dragged me from behind.

"I would watch that tongue," one of them sneered as they stepped in front of me. "From what I've heard you're a bit more vulnerable than you let on." The men around him snickered as I felt my stomach twist with dread. "We have what we've been searching for! Set sail for Hazard Island!"

I closed my eyes when I realized what was happening. The world around me was falling apart. And it was all my fault. All I could do now was hope that Hiccup or the others wouldn't get themselves involved in this.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Short chapter, I know. But I meant for it to be that way :P Things will finally start picking up now, and... I apologize for my lack of updates. I already warned you that they might be slower so... yeah. I can't wait to see how people react to this chapter XD. Anywho, onto review replies!<strong>

**69759 - lol That does suck. I'm glad I don't have to worry about school at the moment ^^**

**dragonridr55 - Unfortunately, no...**

**Layla347 - Sorry for the long wait!**

**Sil - We'll be finding out what happened to him soon... very soon in fact ;)**

**Nightfire260 - Well I'm glad you're not moaning about it ^^ I was thinking of doing that... I just need to think of a creative way of including it at the end.**

**Roxygirl - XD Probably :P We kept ourselves busy by playing soccer on the sidewalks, playing with other people who wanted to join us. It was fun! And please, by all means do that :P**

**arandomperson - XD I'm glad someone picked up on that. Not too many people did for some reason ;)**


	52. Nightmare Come True

**Chapter Fifty Two**

I wasn't sure how long I'd been out. The men who captured me knocked me out shortly after their departure. But the moment my eyes opened I struggled to free myself. They had me bound to a chair in some kind of cell below deck. I couldn't even see what was going on outside.

Which only made things worse. My heart felt like it was breaking once again. I felt tears running down my cheeks as I thought of Snowfire. She was gone. I let her die, because of my selfish stupidity. And the guilt that weighed on my shoulders was far worse than the grief that followed.

"I'm sorry…." was all I could whisper.  
>...<p>

"Mom, have you seen Alex anywhere?" Worry washed over Hiccup as he reached the forge. Valka had been cleaning the wound of a Deadly Nadder when he arrived, whispering gentle words as it squawked uneasily.

"Not since this morning," she replied while concentrating on the wound. "Mentioned something about needing time to think."

Hiccup rubbed the back of his hair as anxiety took over. She shouldn't be wandering the forests alone, not with everyone disappearing the way they were. He was ready to say something else when he noticed the twins were trying to sneak their way back to the academy.

With a roll of his eyes he made his way towards them. They weren't exactly the quietest Vikings he'd seen. But it did leave them suspicious, and he had to make sure they didn't cause any trouble.

_What am I thinking_? he thought with a shake of his head._ I'd be surprised if we went for an entire day without them causing trouble_.

"What are you two doing?" he asked when he caught up with them. Barf and Belch were standing close by, growling in confusion when they stopped.

"Uh, we weren't going to blow up the statue Snotlout just brought in," Ruffnut replied.

"Yeah, what would we be doing with some dumb statue?" Tuffnut added with a shrug.

"Statue?" Hiccup repeated in confusion. "When did Snotlout buy a statue, and since when has he ever been interested in decor?" The last time they dragged a statue into the academy, it was used as target practice and blown to pieces.

"He bought it from a couple of men who were asking about us," Ruffnut explained. "They had some really cool stuff."

"Yeah, like this axe!" Tuffnut pulled out a red-stained axe, and Hiccup couldn't help but wince at the sight. "Said this axe was used in some battle. I wanna see if that's true."

Hiccup resisted the urge to keep asking them more questions. He was more concerned about the people they had mentioned. Usually anyone who traded items with Berk was Trader Johann. But they hadn't seen him in weeks.

If anyone was visiting the island than he had every right to know as chief. The last thing they needed was unwanted visitors.

"Hiccup!" Astrid's voice cut through the awkward silence that followed. The twins chose that moment to slip away as Stormfly flew down next to him. "We've got a problem," she explained after jumping out of Stormfly's saddle. "The entire forest near the beach looks like it was burned down."

"What?" Hiccup's eyes widened in disbelief. "Show me," he added before calling to Toothless.

Astrid wasted no time in flying in the direction of where the fire had been. When they reached the forest, Hiccup could see Eret and Skullcrusher hovering above. Smoke still fumed from where the fire had been. Hiccup could see it as clearly as if the fire had just occurred.

"We managed to put it out," Eret explained when they reached him. "But there's something more alarming than that."

Hiccup followed what Eret was pointing at. His eyes widened in panic when he saw the familiar tracks of a White Terror. Without warning he flew Toothless deeper into the forest, ignoring the look Astrid had given him seconds ago.

"It looks like some kind of fight happened here," he murmured as he spotted a net wrapped around a branch. Toothless gave the net a cautious sniff before growling. Stormfly flew down shortly after with Skullcrusher following.

"But why? What were they fighting about?" Astrid asked in confusion.

"Something tells me that we're about to find out," Hiccup replied after noticing an object in the ground.

He had never seen this object before. It was shaped like a rectangular box, black and had some kind of metal protecting it. The fire hadn't even damaged it. But what surprised him the most was the light it gave off when he pushed a button.

_It must belong to Alex_, he realized. She had mentioned something about objects that lit up like this, and could play music.

"Guys, I think whatever happened here has something to do with Alex's disappearance," he suddenly realized out loud. Whatever it was, they needed to find out what had happened, and fast. He was going to find her, and anyone else who was missing.

...

I'd lost track of how much time had passed. Being stuck in this cell was driving me crazy. The constant rocking of the boat wasn't helping either. Add that to the grief that had already taken over, and things weren't looking up.

I hadn't realized until now how lucky I was to avoid disasters like this. Being caught by madman like Alvin the Outcast and escaping with all of your limbs intact wasn't something to brag about. Getting yourself captured and being able to survive that captivity, now that was something to brag about.

"Time to wake up lass; we've landed." I blinked against the harsh light as a door creaked open. Daylight. Freedom. Once again I struggled against my restraints, but found myself stuck to the chair. The man only laughed at my futile attempt. "Don't waste your energy, you'll need it."

In that moment they pried me off the chair, tying my hands together once again before pushing me forward. I had to blink a few times in order to avoid getting blinded by the sunlight. The air here was much warmer, to the point where what I was wearing was almost too much.

"Welcome to Hazard Island! Your new home," one of the men sneered as they shoved me ahead. I resisted the urge to spit something, having realized that saying anything would be pointless. At this point my body was already too stiff to fight back.

How long had I been strapped to that chair? It hurt to walk, yet it was also a relief to be out of that cramped ship. And the further we went the more I noticed that we were headed for an underground compound. Once again I was surrounded by darkness until one of the men lit a torch.

"Watch your step; there's a gap nearby." Too late. My teeth ground together as the men laughed at my clumsiness. Pain seared through my leg as they shoved me forward once again. "Keep moving, and keep that brat alive, unless you want to be thrown in the dragon pit!"

"Dragon pit?" I repeated. The men ignored my question, and it wasn't long before we stopped in a larger chamber. I looked around warily and saw a shaft of sunlight peeking through a hole. The distant roar of a dragon followed, and I felt shivers run down my back.

"Sir, we brought the girl, as you requested," the man leading the group bowed to whoever was in front of us.

"Good, now leave." The words came out in a growl, reminding me all too much of Drago Bludvist. All of the men around me bowed in response before quickly shuffling out of the room. When we were left alone, I felt a sudden foreboding wash over me. "You don't even remember me," the speaker sneered as he stepped into the sunlight.

For the first time I got a good view of him. And he did seem familiar. But the graying beard and hair was what threw me off. The edges of his beard were tied up, and in his hand was a sword as that he kept staring at.

"Should I?" I asked.

The man only smirked and raised his sword a little. "Of course an insignificant child like _you_ would forget me," he growled. "I was expecting as much." Faster than I could react, the man drew his sword and cut the sleeve off of my right shoulder.

Pain burned from the cut he'd given me, and I had to bite my tongue to keep myself from crying out. Soon the other sleeve was cut off, leaving another wound in the process. But that wasn't all his sword had done. It revealed where the scar my father had left on my shoulder.

"Just leave me alone," I couldn't help but whisper. The man smirked a bit more at my response.

"You said those same words that night I left those scars."

This time I felt horror rush through me. I always had a feeling that he might be here, in this world. But I would push that thought away the moment it came. I was too afraid to admit that one day I might have to face him again. And now here he was, standing in front of me.

"H-How…." My voice trailed off as he laughed at my reaction.

"Did you really think I would leave you?" he demanded, his voice getting cold as ice again. "When I 'disappeared' from our world, I simply woke up here. We share more in common than you realize, _daughter_."

I had to hide the shame that crawled through me, and the fear. "We have _nothing_ in common!" I nearly spat the words.

"I understand you don't want to admit that we do," he simply replied. "But like it or not, we have the same abilities. I can communicate with the dragons, and take them away from you. I know all too well what you are capable of, child."

I fought back a fresh wave of tears that were threatening to overwhelm me. "No, you can't…." I whispered.

"You didn't really think you are the only one with this ability, did you?" He laughed once again as I flinched. "There are others who will challenge you. And I, my child, have. This world will fall apart when I take over. Nothing will stand in my way, especially you."

"You won't get away with it!" I shouted. My voice was starting to crack as I glared.

"I think I already have," he replied before grabbing by my hair. Again I held back a cry of pain as he picked me up with no problem. He definitely wasn't this strong in our world. "It's time you met some old friends."

I didn't have a chance to respond as he dragged me through a hallway. The pain from him pulling my hair was giving me a headache. And of course I couldn't fight back even if I wanted to. What was the point? Even if I did manage to escape there was no way off this island.

Suddenly my father stopped in front of a large wooden door. As he opened it I couldn't help but gasp. Two familiar people were chained to the wall, heads hanging down in defeat.

"I believe you two are already acquainted," he sneered and threw me in.

"Alex!" Gobber suddenly cried as he struggled against his restraints. It was difficult to make them out, mostly because only one arm and leg were chained to the wall. I had to wince at the sight. He was covered in bruises and wounds.

"What did you do?" I demanded through gritted teeth.

"Just a little precaution, to ensure our prisoners don't escape," my father replied. With that being said, he slammed the door shut behind him and kicked me in the stomach. This time I couldn't hold back the cry that followed. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this moment." Pain surged within me when he dragged me towards the wall and chained my hands to it. "Good luck getting yourself out of this one, child."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So these chapters are getting fun to write. Mostly because I finally have an idea as to where I'll be going with them. Also, next couple of chapters may have mentions of torture and various other adult themes. I will warn you of when this occurs, so you can look away if needed :P Also, bonus points to people who've already guessed who's with them ;)<strong>

**Sil - She would, if she were alive... bwahahaha! In all seriousness though, hopefully she survives this ordeal.**

**69759 - I know the feeling. Oddly enough Captain America: The Winter Soldier inspired me to write these next few chapters. Scarlet Johannson (excuse the misspelling) is one of my favorite actresses, mostly because of how bad-a** she is. She actually performs all of her stunts! And she was pregnant during the filming of the Captain America movie. She's like the perfect roll for Natasha Romanoff :)**

**Roxygirl - Yep, it's all for the drama. Go ahead and cry, I actually did while typing this...**

**Nightfire260 - Thanks! And as I said to 69759, it was the Captain America movie. For some reason it just really inspired me to write something like this XD**


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